


Perfect Places

by somebodywakeuphicks



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Character Development, Coming Out, Dystopia, Explicit Language, F/M, Homophobic Language, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Sex, Teen Angst, new characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-01-30 23:46:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 47,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12663921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somebodywakeuphicks/pseuds/somebodywakeuphicks
Summary: Sequel to "I'll Go On"http://archiveofourown.org/works/11430486/chapters/25611354Read "I'll Go On" first. This story follows Hopper, El, Will, and Jonathan's journey after what happens in the first story. Don't want to give too much away from my previous story. Lots of character development. El and Will are 16 and Jonathan is 20.





	1. The Fight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarMaamMke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarMaamMke/gifts).



> StarMaamMke, here you go! ; ) It's really long, but I hope you like it. 
> 
> I started this months ago, before S2 came out, so it does not follow S2. I'll Go On, my first work, was based off of what happens after S1, and this is the sequel to that. So, not alternate universe, per se, but parallel reality. Ha. 
> 
> I've created two of my own main characters, as well. 
> 
> Additional notes:  
> Adult sex, explicitly described  
> Underage sex between teens (NOT between adult and underage person), but not explicitly described  
> Rape mentioned, but not explicitly described

Jim Hopper slammed his hand on the table for the fifth time that week. He reached for a cigarette in his shirt pocket, then remembered he hadn’t seen one for the better part of a year. “Damn it,” he mumbled, moving swiftly toward the door to his home and throwing it open with a thwack against the wall. His police blazer was nowhere in sight. “El!” he yelled, but only a squirrel responded, scolding him.

She was supposed to be doing her homework. He had only gone out back briefly to check the garden. She was already in a mood when he stepped out. Maybe he shouldn’t have yelled at her. 

“El!” He stumbled over some loose asphalt as he made his way down the street. As he turned back to kick it, he spotted a small child on a tricycle, watching. He bent down to meet the boy at eye level. “Hey, little guy. Have you seen a tan police truck go by? Maybe with a teenage girl driving it? Long, brown hair?” 

The boy burst into tears. 

“Wait, no no no,” Hopper waved his hands to shush the child just as his mother came running from their house. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing, ma’am. My daughter is missing, and I was just asking your son if he’d seen her, is all.”

“What kind of grown man has to ask a kid for help? What are you, almost fifty?”

_Forty-three. And he was the only one out here_ , Hopper stewed. “Thanks, ma’am. I’ll make sure to never talk to you or your son again.” He hurried toward the woods. The sky grew purple as orange melted into the horizon. 

 Although dilapidated suburban houses lined much of the neighborhood, their street backed into a wooded area, access to a formerly used bike trail. The trail did not accommodate cars, but Hopper chopped wood in the forest enough times to know about the busted highway access gate. Anyone could easily drive a vehicle up that way.

 No one visited the woods after dark. The fading sun cast long shadows across the road as Hopper scanned the area around him. Nothing. A stick popped nearby, startling him. _Why didn’t I bring my flashlight?_ His heart pounded against the wall of his chest as he reached for the pistol he kept in his rig. The rig he forgot to put on that day. “Shit,” Hopper muttered. “Hello? Is someone there?” Silence. _Probably a rabbit. Why the hell have I turned into a child?_ Hopper continued to walk, and another stick cracked. He turned in a full circle as the beech trees seemed to reach out for him. A thin, fingerlike branch poked his back, and as he swerved away, imagining the talon of a beast, ready to impale him, he suddenly felt the urge to run. To get as far away from that place as quickly as he could. 

Hopper raced back down the road toward the clearing where his neighborhood began. Was he imagining it? He swore he heard a faint gallop behind him, gaining. He refused to turn around, only desiring to get home. The wind picked up, whipping the trees violently as he passed the first house. Finally, with a sudden rush of courage, he stopped and whirled around. Only the trees and the approaching thunderhead stood before him. Shaken up, he hurried back to his house just in time to see a lightning bolt strike near the woods, followed by a blast so loud, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He slammed the door shut behind him and sank into his worn recliner. 

Not five minutes later, the door burst open, two rain-drenched silhouettes scrambling inside. “Water’s coming in. Get that door closed,” Hopper said. 

Jonathan and Will Byers plopped themselves on the mismatched couch opposite Hopper. “Can you not sit on the furniture in your wet clothes?” he urged.

“Does it actually matter?” Jonathan asked.

Hopper grunted. “No, not really. Have either of you seen El?”

“She was here when we left,” Will said.

“No shit,” Hopper spat back. Jonathan glared at him, and Hopper softened his tone. “I mean, yeah, she was here a couple hours ago, but I went out back for fifteen minutes. When I came back in, the blazer was gone, and so was she.” 

“You didn’t get into another fight?” Jonathan asked.

Hopper paused, considering his response. “Maybe you could say that. But it wasn’t anything like our fight two days ago, and she didn’t run away then.” Battles between the two had been escalating for awhile, but he wasn’t even sure when they started or what exactly had started them. _Why can’t she be thirteen again?_

Another crack of thunder sounded as rain pelted the windows. A puddle formed below a weak spot in the roof. Worry replaced anger as Hopper imagined El alone in the storm, stranded. Perhaps she had an accident. Maybe something…no, he wouldn’t— _couldn’t_ —think about that. 

“Maybe we could go look for her?” Will suggested. “Mrs. McCleary would let us use her car, I’m sure.” Hopper looked at the sixteen-year-old. He grew to look more like his mother every day. Short and wiry, his deep brown eyes and hair contrasted his fair complexion, something Hopper had found strikingly beautiful about Joyce. He even possessed her high cheekbones and nervous energy. Hopper turned his attention to the floor. “I already thought of that, but she’s not home.” 

“Jonathan and I could go out walking. The storm will probably start dying down soon.”

 “I _said_ no _._ ” Hopper’s response came out more forcefully than he intended. “I don’t want you two out there by yourselves after dark. Besides, I already searched on foot, and she could be anywhere by now.” 

“It’s not as if monsters only come out at night,” Jonathan retorted. Hopper could sense his exasperation. At twenty, he should have been in college, meeting girls and getting drunk at parties. Instead, he was stuck in a falling-apart city in a piece-of-shit house with two moody teenagers and a grouchy, middle-aged man. But he always knew how to take things in stride. Jonathan was not his biggest worry.

 “It’s not just monsters. It’s the government. It’s The Resistance. Fuck, you could get struck by lightning or eaten by a bear.”

 “There aren’t bears in Nashville,” Will quipped. 

“We don’t know that, anymore. What do we know? We don’t know anything.”

“Why don’t you go lie down. Cool off,” Jonathan said. “Will and I can keep an eye out for El. We won’t go looking for her. Promise.”

Hopper nodded in response and stood, walking to his room. He sank into the mattress and groaned. He couldn’t understand why El would run away. They argued. A lot. Most over silly things, like homework and dishes and how much dinner to eat. This one had been no different. _Why do teenagers have to be so goddamn difficult?_ Hopper wondered. _And here I am with three of them. Of course, the boys are a bit easier. What the hell do I know about sixteen-year-old girls?_ He wished he had Joyce with him to help navigate the situation. She would have known exactly what to do. Hell, it probably wouldn’t have escalated to this in the first place. 

Three hours later and unable to sleep, Hopper stepped back out into the living room. Jonathan and Will slept, bunched up on opposite ends of the couch. He reached over and carefully roused Jonathan. “I’m up. Why don’t you two go to bed? I’ll wait out here for El.” 

As soon as the boys were gone, Hopper walked over to the fogged up window. Wiping it with his sleeve, he peered outside. The storm had died down, only a gentle dripping of wet leaves remaining. He paced back to the recliner, glancing at the clock. Twelve forty-six. He’d make a pot of coffee. Wait—no coffee. Rummaging through the fridge, he settled on a chicken sandwich. Back to the window. Another glance at the clock. One thirty-two. His eyelids, feeling heavy and beginning to close, snapped back open any time the wind picked up. He grabbed a book from the shelf, one Will had been reading for school. _Of Mice and Men_. After skimming a couple chapters, he tossed it to the floor and checked the window again. The floorboards creaked behind him, and he turned around. Will stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes on the ground.  

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I’m worried about El. I should have told you earlier, but she told me to keep quiet.”

Hopper’s eyes narrowed, focused on teenager in front of him. “What do you mean?”

“She’s been planning this awhile. Since last week. Said she hated you and wanted to go back to the Wheelers’.”

“The Wh—fuck! That’s three hundred fifty miles!”

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Because El said I’m the only person she can trust. I didn’t think she’d actually go through with it.”

“Look, Will, you’re a good kid,” Hopper said through clenched teeth. “I know you want to make everyone happy, but you can’t. This was stupid.” He slammed his fist on the side table next to the recliner, toppling it. “I can’t do this anymore!”

“I—I’m sorry.”

“I know. Just go to bed.”

“Hopper?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t yell at her, okay?”

“Oh, you better believe—”

“No, really. Don’t yell at her. She’ll be back, I think. Just try to talk to her.”

“What makes you so sure she’ll be back?” Hopper asked.

Will paused. “I don’t think…I don’t think the Wheelers are there, anymore. I bet no one is there, anymore.” His voice shook, as much as he tried to steady it. “El’s convinced…but I’m not. Either she’ll figure it out for herself and come back, or she’ll get scared and come back. But she’ll be back, regardless. I know she puts up a front, but she can’t stand to be alone.”

That moment, Hopper realized that, even though he had been living with these kids for the last two-and-a-half years, he knew nothing about them. 

At five twenty-eight, the first rays of sunshine rose over the horizon, burning away the fog left from the night before. A humming engine pulled up to the front of the house, then cut off. The door creaked open as El peered around the frame. Hopper waited for her. 

Before he could say anything, she stammered, “Please don’t hate me.”

“El, I don’t hate you,” he replied, mustering as much patience as he could. “I’m not even mad.”

“Oh, you will be,” she mumbled. 

“I promise I won’t yell at you. I’ve had a long time to think things over, and we need to talk about what’s been going on between us. We used to be so close—”

“Yeah, well things change,” El interrupted. 

“But why?”

“If you don’t know the answer to that, then we were never really close to begin with. I think I’d rather get yelled at than have this talk.”

“I said I wasn’t going to yell at you,” Hopper said evenly. 

El motioned her open hand out the door, and Hopper followed. 

“Goddamn it, El!”

“Yep.”

“Fuck.”

He ran to his truck, sliding a hand along the front bumper. 

“I ran into a tree. Not hard or anything, but the outside is in pretty rough shape. It was the storm.”

“Why’d you do it?”

“I said it was an accident. I couldn’t see through all the rain.”

“No, why’d you go?”

She shrugged. “You know. I was mad.”

“About doing your homework?”

“Sure.”

“It wasn’t because you wanted to see Mike?”

“What did Will tell you?”

“He didn’t tell me anything,” Hopper lied. “I just know you’ve been missing him, is all.”

“No, you don’t. You don’t ever talk to me. The only questions you ever ask me are if my chores and homework are done.”

“I have a lot on my mind.”

“You think I don’t? It’s not an excuse!”

“Don’t raise your voice to me!”

“Why not?” El shrugged, throwing her hands up. “You do it all the time. I’m only learning it from _you_.”

“Fuck it. Why do I even do this?” Hopper barked. 

“I don’t know. Maybe you should just give up. You suck at being a parent.”

Hopper’s eyes grew sharp before clouding. His mouth trembled briefly as he pursed his lips, turning away from El. 

“Sorry, Hop. I didn’t mean it.”

“Yeah, you did,” he mumbled and walked inside without a word. 

Silence filled the house as Hopper prepared dinner that evening. El had outgrown her Eggo waffle obsession, but he wanted to make an amiable gesture after what happened earlier. As he stirred the pancake mix and ladeled some out onto the frying pan, he hoped it would do. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Hopper called. He knew Will had gone out to make some money mowing lawns, but he assumed El and Jonathan were in their rooms. He waited. No answer. So he called again. Finally, he knocked on their doors, then peered in. The rooms stood empty. He trudged back to the kitchen table, plopped down, and sighed. 

Halfway through his third pancake, the door opened as all three kids stepped inside. Will wore an uncharacteristic scowl. “I can’t believe you told her!” he yelled, heading straight for his room and slamming the door. 

“I’m gonna eat in the bedroom. I’ll talk to him,” Jonathan said, grabbing a couple pancakes before leaving.

It was just Hopper and El. El looked sheepishly at the floor. 

“Well, are you gonna come eat?” Hopper asked. 

El sat and quietly began dishing herself some food. “Thanks for the pancakes,” she mumbled.

“How do you know they’re for you?” Hopper asked. “Maybe I was really craving them. Maybe I intended to eat them all before you three walked in and thwarted my plans.”

She cracked a smile. 

“So where were you all this afternoon? I’d really like it if you give me a heads up on where you’re going. Will was the only one who did.”

“Don’t worry. We all stayed in the neighborhood. Jonathan was out taking pictures. I just wanted to go on a walk and get some fresh air, and I ran into Will and Jonathan on my way home. I think Will only did two houses.”

“Yeah, he seemed pretty pissed off.”

“I told him you told me about what he said.”

“I figured.”

“It’s just that I wish he hadn’t told you. I thought I could trust him. I guess not.”

“Hey, he only told me _because_ he cares about you so much. Don’t be too hard on him.”

El sat, lost in thought. Finally, she spoke up. “I miss Mike.” Her eyes reflected vulnerability, and if Hopper was honest with himself, it made him uncomfortable. 

“I know. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“But what if he’s not? It really hurt when you dragged us away without saying goodbye. Will would never tell you, but he’s super hurt by it, too. We all are.”

Hopper wasn’t ready for this conversation. “It’s been two and a half years.”

“So? I didn’t know there was a time limit on grieving. If that’s the case, yours was up a long time ago.” Guarded El reappeared, and Hopper had screwed up. Again.

“I’m—” Hopper started. 

“No. Don’t. I’m going to finish eating in my room.”

He wasn’t sure he could be any more hated, but the look of distain coupled with crushed disappointment made him think otherwise. 

That night, Hopper fell into a troubled sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to escape the nightmares that pursued his subconscious mind. When he finally woke, beads of cold sweat covering his shivering body, the cries of his loved ones slowly transformed into the wail of the air raid siren. “Take cover!” he screamed, before everything went black.


	2. The Meeting

“Sara! Oh, god, Sara, where are you?” Hopper woke to the world crashing down around him. 

 _What is happening? Am I dreaming?_ But it was too painful to be a dream. He could hear screams from seemingly all directions. His leg felt as if it was on fire and twisted into such an unnatural shape that he hoped it wasn't broken.

“I’m coming Sara! Call out if you can hear me!” Hopper could barely hear himself, his ears rang so badly. He thrust drywall and wooden planks off of his head and groped around to locate his trapped leg. 

“Hopper, I’m over here!” Jonathan pushed his way out of the rubble. “I’ve got Will with me, but I can’t find El!”

Suddenly, Hopper realized he wasn’t with Sara at all. He groaned. “My leg is stuck. Hold on.” He lifted several heavier pieces of wood off of his leg and carefully extracted it from the rest of the smaller pieces. It would definitely bruise, but it wasn’t broken. 

Thick dust hung in the air as Hopper found his way to Will and Jonathan, stepping over shards of glass and craggy wood, rusty nails jutting out. This is why he insisted they wear shoes to bed every night. Just in case _this_ happened. “I want you two out of here in case this place collapses,” Hopper instructed. “I’m going to look for El.”

“We want to look, too,” Jonathan said. 

“ _No_. I promised your mom I’d take care of you. Take your brother and find your way out. _Now_.” This was not the time or place to argue, so Jonathan did as he was told. 

Hopper limped around the debris the best he could, feeling his way around. “El!” he screamed. “El! Answer me!” He _had_ to find her. He couldn’t bear to think of the alternative. _Breathe_ , he told himself. _Keep going._ He made his way to what used to be El’s room and began tossing pieces of drywall out of the way. “El! Please answer me! I need you to make some sort of noise!” But he only heard the groans and creaks of the house, threatening to take him down with it. 

He took one step, then another. On his third step, his foot kicked something soft. He knelt down, brushing the wreckage away with his hands. “El! Oh ,god, El! Answer me!” He pulled her out as quickly as he could. He located her heartbeat, but she remained unresponsive. Carrying her limp body, he fumbled back through the house and outside.

Hopper didn’t see Jonathan or Will. Decimated homes surrounded him. Smoke rose from a few as the former living spaces began to burn. He sunk to the ground, cradling El in his arms. “Come on, girl! Wake up! I know we’ve had a rough go of it, but I can’t lose you, too.” El’s eyes fluttered briefly before closing again. “El! Can you hear me? Give me a sign that you can hear me!” She slowly raised her hand and placed it on Hopper’s arm. 

He drew in a sharp breath as his body shuddered. “Oh, thank god!” He pulled her into a bear hug before reconsidering. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

She opened her eyes and studied Hopper’s face. “I’m okay, I think. Where am I?”

“You’re safe. Can you move?”

“I don’t know. I think so.” She attempted to sit up.

“Careful. Careful. You might be injured.”

“I feel okay.” 

At that point, Jonathan and Will reappeared. “Where were you?” Hopper asked.

“Helping people,” Will answered. “We couldn’t just do nothing.”

“Did you see Sara again?” Jonathan asked. The kids knew Hopper dealt with nightmares over his daughter. Sometimes they alternated with nightmares about Joyce. Sometimes both. 

“Yeah,” Hopper responded, subdued. A wail next door caused him to turn sharply. “Mrs. McClearly! Wait here.” He ran to the house, finding his elderly neighbor trapped under heavy rubble. He lifted each piece of debris and discarded them until he could free her. Blood trickled down her forehead and leg as she hobbled away from the now smoldering building toward the teenagers, arm around Hopper’s shoulder. He carefully sat her down next to El.

“Military bomb?” Will asked. 

“Yeah,” Hopper said, sighing heavily. “Which means we’re not safe here, anymore.”

“What is safe?” Jonathan asked. “As far as I can tell, we’re not safe anywhere.” 

“You’re not wrong,” Hopper replied. 

“They’ll be back. They always come back,” El said. “Once they target a place for takeover, they don’t stop until it’s accomplished.”  
  
“Which is why we need to leave. Tonight,” Hopper said. 

He ran back inside their dilapidated home to salvage as many of their belongings as he could. He placed a few items, along with what little money they had, inside the four backpacks sitting by the door. Each person took one. 

“At least we still have the truck,” Jonathan said.

“Yep. We’re gonna have to drive with the headlights off, though.” Hopper got into the driver’s seat, Jonathan in the passenger’s, and El and Will in the back. Hopper leaned out the window and took his neighbor’s hand. “Why don’t you come with us? We’re going to Birmingham. I’ve gotten word that they’ve made it into a de-escalation zone. No bombs.” 

Mrs. McCleary sighed. “I’m too old to travel anymore. Nashville is where I grew up, and it’s where I’m meant to stay.”

Hopper fumbled through his backpack and produced a ten dollar bill, handing it to the woman. “I know it’s not much, but I am grateful for how you looked after the kids whenever I found work, and we appreciate the vegetables you shared with us from your garden.”

“I can’t take this,” she stated. “You need it more than I do.”

“Listen, we both know that you wiped your savings out when you went to the doctor last month. Think of it as a gift. I hope we see each other again soon,” he said, knowing they probably wouldn’t.

“Thank you, Jim. I really do need this.”

“I know you do. Stay safe.”

He started the engine of his now beat up police blazer and headed for the road. 

Silence filled the truck, only interrupted by distant bombs falling across the city. Hopper took side roads in an attempt to avoid The Resistance’s blockades. The rebel group intended for everyone to stay and help them fight against the government intrusion. Not that most citizens were keen on fighting, anyway. 

The ground shook as a thick cloud of black smoke rolled toward them. Another bomb exploded a short distance away. As the smoke cleared, oranges and yellows danced on top of buildings, a few collapsed to the ground and sent up new billows of dust. Hopper glanced up through the windshield at the starless sky with its black moon.

 _What is going to happen to us? To the kids? I promised Joyce,_ he thought. _But this? This is all too much. How does_ anyone _manage to protect their kids in a situation like this?_

Jonathan broke the silence. “If you need me to take a turn driving, I can. I wasn’t hurt too badly in the explosion.” He fingered the burnt ends of his light brown hair. Soot covered his normally fair face.

“I think I’ll be fine for now,” Hopper said. 

“I can drive, too!” Will chimed in.

“No way. I only just taught you two months ago. Ain’t happening.” 

Will folded his arms and sulked back into his seat. “El drove the other day.”

“Yeah, and look what happened.”

“I don’t know why you’d want to drive, anyway,” El muttered. “If they stop us, you’d be the first one shot.” 

“No way. I’d just hit the gas and run through their blockade or whatever.”

El giggled. 

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing. I just can’t see you doing that.”

Will punched El in the arm, and they bantered back and forth for a few minutes. _At least El is fine_ , Hopper thought, relieved. 

They drove on in silence for another forty-five minutes until Jonathan spoke. “Shit. Blockade ahead.”

They had been spotted, too late to turn around or use a side road. Hopper slowed and rolled his window down. “Evening, sir,” he said to the man dressed in black and wearing a face mask.

The man pointed an assault rifle at Hopper’s open window as another appeared behind him. “I need to see ID.” 

“That’s funny, because I’m pretty sure it burned up in the bomb that just exploded on our house.”

“Don’t be a smart ass,” Jonathan mumbled. 

“Look,” the man pushed the barrel of his rifle through the open window and deep into Hopper’s chest. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you won’t be going anywhere.”

“I am a goddamn U.S. citizen. I go where I please.”

Jonathan looked like he wanted to take Hopper’s head off.

Before anyone could respond to Hopper’s outburst, a squealing, rust-colored creature knocked the two men to the ground. The size of a man, it resembled a flea, a protruding, bulbous body, but with a feathery tail. The men fired their guns, but the bullets ricocheted off the creature’s bony scales as it opened its hair-covered pincers and plucked the guns from the men’s hands, one by one, and swallowed them whole. They jumped up and ran screaming in the other direction. 

The monster snuffed around on the ground, paused, then leapt onto Hopper’s truck, digging into the hood.

“Go the fuck somewhere else and eat someone else’s fucking metal!” Hopper screamed. The creature ignored him as it quickly peeled the tan blazer’s hood back, devouring it piece by piece.

“Hop, I think we should get out of here,” Jonathan said.

“Finally, someone who makes sense.” El rolled her eyes. 

The group threw their doors open, grabbed their bags, and ran for the thickest group of trees. Once they felt safe, Hopper turned to the group. “At least we’re out of the city,” he said, right before Jonathan threw a punch to his face. 

“What the fuck, Hopper?” He lunged at the tall man again. Will and El grabbed him, holding him back. 

Hopper said and did nothing as his lip slowly bled. He could understand the Jonathan’s frustration. He tried so hard to not be this person, but sometimes it came flooding back. 

“El could have handled it, though, right, El?” He looked over at the girl, her long, fine brown hair blowing across her face in the light wind. 

Her face crumpled as she tightened her fists, lips pursed and brown eyes burning. Instead of saying anything, she turned and ran. 

“What the hell is wrong with you tonight?” Jonathan said to Hopper before turning to run after El, Will trailing behind.

Hopper leaned against a tree and slumped to the ground. 

The three returned about fifteen minutes later. “We found a river a little down that way,” Will said, pointing. “It’s nestled in some trees and would be a good place to camp.”

Hopper exhaled. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

“Look, Hopper, you’re the adult here. This type of thing is happening more and more often. We all understand the stress you’re under, but we are stressed, too. You can’t keep doing this. It’s becoming dangerous. Your outburst tonight could have gotten us all killed,” Jonathan said.

“I don’t think it would have gotten that far.”

“Yeah, it easily could have,” Will responded.

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Hopper observed El’s face. Her eyes appeared stormy and distant. _I’m pushing her away. I don't want to, but I’m pushing her away._

“El…”

She stomped back off into the woods toward the river.

“Just give her time to cool down,” Will said. “She’ll come around.” 

The group set up camp next to the small river. It didn’t consist of much. They spread their blankets out to sleep on. _Thank God it’s summer_ , Hopper thought. The water flowed freely enough that Hopper assumed it was safe to drink. They each cupped water in their hands and took sips before lying down. The sun began to rise, but the group needed to get rest before continuing on their journey. 

About three hours after they had fallen asleep, Will woke coughing violently. Hopper sat up quickly and fumbled through his bag for his knife. “Don’t get close to the river. We don’t want it to get away,” he instructed. Jonathan and El stirred, sitting up.

Will bent his body toward the weeds. He regurgitated frothy white liquid before a slug, a bit larger than an adult finger, slid out and fell with a soft splat onto the dead leaves as it tried to slither away. Hopper flipped the blade of his knife and sunk it deep into the mucous-covered, black and yellow-spotted body. It writhed around before stilling. 

This had been happening ever since Will returned from the Upside Down. He had taken every anti-parasite remedy to no avail. Hopper knew enough not to take him to a hospital. One look, and they’d want to do experiments on him. As far as he could tell, Will didn’t suffer any negative effects, aside from puking up a slug every week or so. At first, Will hid his ailment, washing them down the sink and flushing them down the toilet, but Hopper convinced him to kill the slugs. “It’s in everybody’s best interest,” he told him. 

“I suppose this is as good a time as any to get up and get going,” Hopper said. They took turns bathing in the river and eating a breakfast of bread and peanut butter. 

“Which way?” Jonathan asked when they were ready to go.

“I’m not entirely sure. It was so dark last night, I can’t be certain what direction we were going. But I have a hunch, and once we get to a town, maybe we can find someone to hitch a ride with.” Hopper did not like that idea one bit, but he couldn’t think of anything better. 

The group walked for an hour down a small road without seeing a soul. Finally, as Hopper began worrying that they’d headed in the completely wrong direction, they spotted a decrepit gas station with a faded yellow sign that read Pat’s Gas. The white, wooden siding was peeling badly, and broken down pick up trucks littered the adjacent junk yard. “Stay here,” Hopper instructed as he pulled open the creaky door and stepped inside. 

On the outside, the business didn’t appear operational, but when he entered, a middle aged man with deep wrinkles and a few missing teeth stood up from his chair. “What can I do you for?”

“Uh, my family and I are looking for a ride to Birmingham. We were hoping there would be someone willing to take us, or at least point us in the right direction.” 

The man spat into the corner. “Sure, I know someone who could do that.” He turned around and called into a back room. “Carl, we have visitors.”

A younger, but still hardened man strolled out from the back office. He wore dirty overalls and a baseball cap over his shaggy blond hair. 

“This man needs a ride to Birmingham. How many did you say?” he asked Hopper.

“There are four of us.” 

“Yeah, I can manage that,” Carl said. “It’ll be seventy-five dollars, though. You got that?”

Hopper’s meager savings was quickly dwindling, but they needed the ride, and hopefully he’d find work once they arrived. “What about fifty?”

“Look, man, if you don’t want the ride—”

“We do. It just seems steep, is all.”

“This ain’t some stroll in the park. I dunno if you heard, but we got monsters roaming these parts. And you don’t know where them military’s been leaving their booby traps.”

“Sixty-five.”

“I’ll do it for seventy, no less.”

Hopper handed Carl seventy dollars as the man counted to make sure it was all there. Then he waved Hopper on. “Follow me.” 

The pair walked out the front door and around the corner to a rusted-out blue Ford pick-up. 

“These your kids?”

“Yeah,” Hopper answered.

“Men in the bed, nice young lady up front with me.” He gave El the once-over. 

“Fucking hell if you think that’s happening.” Hopper puffed up as he inched toward the man.

“Hold up, hold up,” Carl said as he threw his hands in the air. “That’s no way to talk around a lady. I was only trying to be gentlemanly, giving her the better seat. But if you’re not comfortable with that—”

“I’m not.” Hopper gritted his teeth. “I’ll sit in the front. And don’t tell me how to talk around my daughter.”

El startled at the the word. It was the first time Hopper had used it around her. 

“What are we waiting for?” Carl asked. “Get in.” 

After confirming the teens’ security, Hopper slid into the passenger seat. “About how long will it be?”

“Well, seeing as we’ll have to take side roads, I’d say about two hours. Say, what do you do…” 

“Hopper.”

“Hopper. Now that’s a funny name. What do you do, Hopper? I mean, what did you do before all this—,” he gestured his hands around him. “— _shit_ happened?”

“I was a cop.”

At this confession, Carl’s eyes grew wide. “I promise I ain’t done nothing against the law!”

“ _Was._ Hey, Carl, you got any cigarettes?”

“Nah, haven’t even seen one in months. Maybe a year. 

“Yeah, me neither.” 

“What’s your business in Birmingham?”

“I’ve been told it’s a de-escalation zone. One of the few in the country,” Hopper answered. 

“Yeah, well, I don’t believe that shit. I stay away from the big cities, ya know what I mean? Any case, it ain’t going to stop _them_.” As Carl said it, Hopper gaped at the creature outside, about a mile away. A scarlet dragon, the size of a plane, thundered majestically through the forest, taking trees down with it. They watched in awe as it spread it’s expansive bat-like wings and took off with a shriek, soaring through the air and above their truck. 

Hopper let out a breath. “Wow.”

“Yeah, I seen one of those before. Never again until now. Where were you when all this started happening?”

“Indiana.”

“Ahh, Indiana. They say that’s where the first monster sighting took place.”

“Yep. I was there.”

“Nah, you’re shittin’ me.”

“I wish I was, Carl. Got lots of bad memories from that place.” _And one good memory,_ Hopper thought. 

“I believe it.”

“You know all those protests from three years ago? Criticizing the government for their part in releasing these monsters?”

“Course I do.”

“I was involved in that investigation.”

“Wow, that’s just wild, man. Hey, I need to take a leak. Mind if we stop at this place up ahead?”

“Be my guest.” Hopper felt a little weary from the talking. Perhaps he said too much. 

As Carl walked around the concrete structure to the outside restroom, Hopper got out to check on the kids. “Everyone doing alright?” he asked. 

“As much as we can be,” Jonathan said.

“It’s not that comfortable,” Will answered.

“Of course it’s not, dummy. What did you expect? Limo service?”

Will shot his brother a look. “We’re fine. I’m hungry, though.”

“You can have some of the bread and peanut butter if you’d like. But we do need to save some for dinner. Hopefully, once we get into town, we can scrounge something else up." 

“How long?” Jonathan asked.

“About an hour, I imagine.”

As they talked, a two-toned Chevy hatchback pulled up, and a woman got out, presumably to do the same thing as Carl. She walked around to the back of the building. 

Hopper got back into the passenger’s side of the truck while Carl climbed into the driver’s seat. Without warning, he produced a pistol and pointed it at Hopper, out of sight of the kids. “I hate to do this. You seem like a cool guy and all, but I really need the money.”

Hopper responded as calmly as he could. He wasn’t going to put their lives in danger like he had the night before. “I told you, I don’t have anything. I already gave you most of what I have." 

“I just don’t buy it, buddy. What else ya got in those bags? Maybe I could even take the girl with me.” His grimy smile produced a crooked row of yellowed teeth. “I could sure have a lot of fun with her." 

“I’m going to fucking kill—”

“Uh-uh. Who has the gun, now?” 

The woman from the Chevy appeared from around the corner, and Hopper used the distraction to throw a right hook to Carl’s face. A struggle ensued, the gun wrestled dangerously between the two men. Jonathan, Will, and El jumped out of the bed and threw the truck doors open, just as the woman ran over. 

Jonathan pulled Carl off of Hopper and out onto the ground, the gun clattering onto the pothole-littered asphalt. Jonathan and Carl lunged for the gun at the same time, but Carl grabbed it first. Before he could point it at a target, the woman pointed her own pistol straight at his head. 

“Put the gun down slowly,” she instructed. Carl set the weapon carefully onto the ground. “Hun, can you pick it up and give it to me?” she asked El. El picked up the gun and placed it in the woman’s hand. “Now, I don’t know what you think you’re doing to this poor family, but I strongly suggest you get in your truck and leave. If you don’t do as I say in the next ten seconds, I’ll put a bullet in your skull. Understand?" 

“Yes, ma’am. I ain’t intending to hurt no one. I just need money.” 

“ _Go_.”

Jonathan swiped their backpacks from the bed before Carl put the truck into reverse, turned it around, and hightailed it back the way he came.

“Didn’t any of you stop to think to get one of the two guns from the backpack?” Hopper asked, exasperated. He looked up at the woman and stopped. She appeared young, perhaps around thirty. Her caramel skin contrasted her white tank top and khaki green pants. Her black ringlets, cropped short, framed her face. “Uh, thanks for that. For intervening, I mean.”

“No problem. It looked like you were in trouble. I’m Vivian.”

“Hopper. This is Jonathan, El, and Will.”

“Nice to meet you. Where you headed?”

“Birmingham.”

“I feel like I owe you a ride, since I kinda forced yours to leave.”

“Thanks. We’d appreciate that.”

“It’ll be a pretty tight squeeze, but I think we’ll all be able to fit.” 

Hopper, the largest of the four, sat up front while the kids squished in the back. 

“So, what’s in Birmingham?” Vivian asked as she headed back onto the road.

“The last guy who asked us that tried to rob and maybe kill us,” Hopper responded in jest.

Vivian laughed. “Aw, you don’t have to worry about ‘lil old me. As long as you’re good, I’m good.”

“We heard Birmingham is a de-escalation zone. We got bombed out of Nashville, and this is our next destination.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think Birmingham is going to be the promised land you’re searching for.”

“Why’s that?” Hopper asked.

“We’ll just say I know a thing or two.”

“Are you part of The Resistance?” Will asked. 

Vivian paused, taken aback. “No, no I’m not.” She sighed. “I used to be. At the beginning of the war. But then I realized I was fighting the wrong fight.”

“How so?” El asked. This piqued the teens’ curiosity.

“Everyone is fighting over land and power. Doesn’t matter what side you’re on, it’s all the same. The government may have started it, but that’s hardly the point." 

“You weren’t going to shoot Carl, were you?” Jonathan asked.

“Carl? The man who was harassing you? Nah. Gun’s empty.” 

“So you’re just a concerned citizen then?” Hopper asked.

“If I must be labeled, I belong to a group called the White Poppies." 

“What’s a White Poppy?” El asked. 

“There are nineteen thousand of us all across the country. Some of us stay in relatively calm areas helping to build up the community. Others go to places rumored to have future bombings and outbreaks of violence. When that happens, and it usually does, we go in and rescue as many civilians as we can. Our goal is to cut down the number of casualties.”

“And you’re headed to Birmingham…” 

Vivian sighed. “Yes, unfortunately. I hope the rumors are wrong, but many of us think this just sounds like a trap.”

“But if Birmingham isn’t safe, where can we go?” Jonathan asked.

Vivian said nothing, her warm eyes meeting Jonathan’s in the rearview mirror, identifying with his heartache.


	3. The Move

“Fuck.” Hopper sat, glued to the television, watching the world fall apart in front of him.

El walked over and rested her chin on his shoulder. “What’s happening?” she asked.

“Canada’s establishing a blockade. Seems they don’t want our kind, monster interlopers, entering their country."

“This is just a precaution,” Canada’s Prime Minister explained on the emergency broadcast. “We don’t know anything about these creatures. We don’t know how they affect those they’ve come into contact with."

“There’s no way they’re going to be able to sustain that,” Hopper told El. “That’s a huge border to manage. And the monsters have already begun migrating."

Two weeks had passed since Joyce’s death and El’s rescue from The Lab. The government placed Hopper’s job, and those of every other police officer, on indefinite hiatus as they ordered the military to kill the Thessalydra. That didn’t stop other monster sightings. Monsters none of them had ever seen before or imagined. Hopper investigated The Lab after he heard it burned to the ground, hoping that the main portal had gone along with it. Much to his dread, it stood, stronger than ever, churning and groaning, pulsating as its miry vines spread, invading new structures around it.

“What’s martial law?” El asked, still focused on the news.

“It means all our rights as citizens are gone. The military has taken over and controls everything now.”

“Because of us?” El asked.

“I’m afraid so,” he lamented. “At least, in part. But hey, don’t you worry about that. Let me worry about that.” He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

The governor had placed Hawkins, Indiana under martial law one week prior. As the monster sightings spread, so did the militarization. At that point, thirty-six cities had declared martial law, and counting. 

“Jonathan, Will, come here,” Hopper called into the boys’ bedrooms. 

“Yeah, Hop?” Jonathan asked as he and Will walked over to where Hopper and El stood.

“I think it’s time we leave. It’s getting too dangerous around here.”

“But we haven’t even held the funeral!” Jonathan yelled. “You can’t do that to us!

“Listen, Jonathan, I understand your hurt. I really do. I feel exactly the same way, but the honest truth is that a funeral is not going to happen.”

“You _don’t_ feel the same way,” Jonathan shouted. “You just fucking slept with her or whatever, I don’t even know. She’s _our_ mom.”

Will’s eyes darted to the ground in uncomfortable silence. 

“You’re right. It’s not the same. But I did love her. I do love her. And I miss her terribly. This is painful for me, too.”

Jonathan slid to the floor. “So this is really happening? Our lives are going to totally change, aren’t they?”

“I wish I had something better to tell you.”

“When are we leaving?” Will asked.

“Tonight. I need you to go to your rooms and pack what you can fit in a suitcase and backpack each. Be smart. Pack necessities.”

As the kids did just that, Hopper quickly made his way through the house. He had taken all of his savings out of the bank the week prior on a hunch that he would need it. A former co-worker agreed to let him stay temporarily at his place in Indianapolis. The volatile political climate up north made traveling south seem like the best call, so it would get them in the right direction.

Once Hopper packed all he could fit, he slumped onto the couch to wait for the kids, his mind wandering. _What have I done?_ he thought. _I was a fuck-up before, but this sure does take the cake. I may have saved Will and El, but to what effect? How many more people are suffering now because of the choices I made?_ Maybe he shouldn’t have investigated The Upside Down at all, he concluded. It had only resulted in misery and hell. He trudged to the kitchen to pour himself the last of the liquor. _If it weren’t for the kids, I would have ended this already._

He startled at the noise behind him. “We’re done,” El said, putting her hand on Hopper’s shoulder. He turned around, capturing her a bear hug that caught her off guard. “You know I’m glad you’re here, right? I just want you to know that.”

“Can we say bye to our friends?” Will asked, appearing from around the corner. 

“I wish I could say yes. But it’s too risky.”

“That’s—but—we have to.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t let anyone know we’re leaving, and I certainly can’t have boys on bikes chasing after the truck.”

El looked up, her eyes pleading. “But Mike. Please, Hop.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrank back from Hopper and padded over to Will.  

The family piled into Hopper’s blazer and left the Byers’ residence, and Hawkins, for the last time. Government orders forbade anyone from leaving town and set curfew for seven p.m., so Hopper drove with his headlights off and took back roads. They would arrive at Bernie’s in about an hour and a half. He glanced into the rearview mirror to see El and Will leaned against each other, fast asleep. _I hope I can do this job well_ , he thought. _Otherwise, what’s the point?_

They pulled up to a modest, two-story brick house at about twelve-thirty a.m. Bernie left a key under the front rug and said he’d likely be asleep on the couch. The group grabbed all of their belongings and walked timidly into the house after Hopper unlocked the door. A silhouette on the couch stirred, then sat up. “Hopper!”

“Hey, buddy!” They wrapped each other in a big hug. “It’s been about five years, hasn’t it? How’s it going?”

“How do you think it’s going?” Bernie gave him a look. “All my duties have been suspended indefinitely while the military tries to figure this thing out.” He turned to the teens. “And who do we have here?”

“These are the kids I told you about. Jonathan, Will, and El. Guys, this is Bernie. I used to work with him on the force.”

“But they’re not yours? When you left, you only had the one, and she…”

Hopper cleared his throat. “Yeah…well, the woman I was sort of seeing passed away, and her kids were left with no one, so I promised her I would care for them.” 

“Sort of seeing? Ah, well, you’re a better man than me!” An awkward silence ensued. “You’re probably tired, I bet. We have two spare rooms. I don’t know how you want to split yourselves up, but there’s a full in one and two twins in the other.” They settled on Will and El in the full bed and Hopper and Jonathan taking the twins. 

“How’re you doing?” Hopper asked Jonathan as they settled down to sleep. 

Jonathan stayed silent for a minute. “Do you think we’re a burden?”

“Hey, absolutely not. What got you thinking about that?”

“It’s just that every time you explain our presence to someone, you keep saying _I promised this_ or _my responsibility that_.”

“It’s an easy way to explain it to people. Truth is, I need you guys as much as you need me. I consider it a privilege to take on this role. I only hope that I can do even half as good a job as your mom.” 

“I miss her so much.”

“I know, kid. I know. I wish I knew how to make the pain go away, but I don’t. I can tell you from experience that it probably never goes away. You just learn to deal with it better.”

“Goodnight, Hop.”

“Goodnight, kid.”

As Hopper drifted off to sleep, he could hear Jonathan weeping into his pillow. 

Hopper woke early the next morning to shouting outside. He rose from his bed and pulled the blinds aside. Down the street and on the corner, he observed about twenty protesters facing the traffic on the busy road. After he showered and dressed, he headed downstairs to the kitchen where Bernie sat at the table. “Morning.”

“Good morning. Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, thanks,” he said, taking a mug.

“How did you sleep?” Bernie asked.

“Just fine, until a little bit ago. Protesters woke me up. What’s the story with that?”

“You’ve heard about Canada closing its border, correct?”

“Yeah,” Hopper replied.

“Well, other countries are following suit. Travel has been completely banned. We can’t fly anywhere. We can’t take boats anywhere. We’re stuck until this whole thing blows over. But it’s not stopping people of _influence_ from buying their way out. There’s also the idea that the government created the monsters in order to have an excuse for more military control. Not sure which group you saw outside.”

“But the government didn’t create the monsters. Responsible, absolutely, but…” His voice trailed off. 

Bernie eyed Hopper. “How would you know that?”

“Oh, well, just speculation, I guess.”

“How long did you say you needed a place for again?”

“We don’t really know. The plan is to head to Nashville. They haven’t declared martial law yet.”

“ _Yet_ being the key word,” Bernie stated.

“Yes, well, I want what’s safe for my kids.”

“Don’t we all. Luckily for me, my son’s at Oxford, so I don’t have to worry about any of this getting to him.”

“Yet.”

The two men sat in silence for a few seconds before Hopper spoke. “You got a phone book?”

Hopper opened the thick, yellow book and flipped through the pages, scrolling, before resting his finger on a name. _Diane Weaver_. “Hey, I’m gonna run out for a few. I’ll be back. The kids won’t be a problem. I’ll just let them sleep a while longer.”

Bernie looked at him, considering saying something. But whatever it was, he must have decided against it. “Okay, then. Stay safe.”

Hopper pulled up to the small, yellow house. A child’s swing hung from the large oak tree in the front yard, and a recently built snowman stood by its side. He took in a deep breath as he made his way up to the door and put his hand out to knock, hesitating. _Should I be doing this? Yes, she has to know._ He knocked. Thirty seconds passed, and he considered turning around to return to his truck. But then the door opened.

A woman stood before him wearing a red sweater tucked into high-waisted navy slacks. She wore her thick, blonde hair slightly shorter than the last time he saw her, sitting just below her shoulders. A head of blonde curls and hazel eyes, belonging to a little girl, peered from around her mother’s legs. 

“Diane.”

She let out a little sigh. “Jim, what are you doing here?”

“I’m in town, and I had to come see you. To make sure everything was alright.”

“You couldn’t have called?”

“I thought you told me not to call you,” Hopper said. 

“A reasonable person would have assumed that meant no showing up on doorsteps, either.”

“Can I come in?”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. Bill’s not home.”

“I just want to talk.” 

“Fine. But only for a few minutes. Then, you have to leave. This better be important, Jim.”

“It is.” He stepped into the foyer where several family pictures hung along the staircase. “This must be Elizabeth,” Hopper said, kneeling down to where the young girl stood. “How old is she, now?”

“She’ll be two in March. Seriously, what is this about? I’m not comfortable with you here.”

Hopper stood to meet Diane’s face. “I’m not the same man I was when you left me. I’m done with the pills. Done with getting drunk and skipping out on work. Done with the…” He averted his eyes. “…sleeping around. I’m taking care of three kids now. Teens, really. Their mom passed, and they had no one, so I stepped in. I think you’d like them.”

Diane interrupted. “Jim, you know we can’t get back together. I have another life now. I have Bill. And Elizabeth. She placed her hand low on her stomach, drawing attention to a small, growing belly Hopper had failed to notice until then.

“No, no, no, that’s not why I came,” he explained. “I know what we had is over. But the kids and I, we’re heading south to Nashville. Where it’s safer. It’s getting too dangerous here, Diane. I want you and your family to come with us.”

She produced a little half-laugh. “Hop, you still are as crazy as ever. We couldn’t do that. Bill has his job here. I’m about to have two babies to care for, and at my age. I can’t be traveling without a plan.”

“But I’m telling you, scary things are happening. You won’t be safe here. If the current climate is any indication, Bill won’t have his job soon. I just can’t stomach leaving you behind in all of this, knowing full well what’s coming.”

“You always were the pessimist. I don’t think it’ll be that bad. But okay, you know what? If it’s really as dangerous as you think it is, I’ll talk it over with Bill tonight. Give me the number of the place you’re staying at, and I’ll give you a call. _Don’t_ call me, and _don’t_ come over, you hear?”

“Yes, I understand,” he said, handing her a scribbled on piece of paper. “Thanks for not completely disregarding me.”

“Goodbye, Jim.” She forced a side hug as she led him out the door and locked it behind her. 

On the way back to Bernie’s house, Hopper noticed a different group of protesters. He slowed down to check out the commotion, but as soon as he pulled over, a tanker truck barreled down the road and stopped in front of the group. Several military men carrying rifles and batons hopped out. 

“We’re protesting peacefully!” one woman proclaimed. 

“Down with military control!” another man bellowed.

The group began chanting in unison, “Whose streets? Our streets!” as the troops crowded in. From what Hopper could see at his vantage point, one armed man shoved a protester back with his chest, and all hell broke loose from there. The military whipped out their batons and beat people bloody. Some used tear gas, causing protesters to wail, a mess of snot and tears streaming down their faces. They kicked and beat those they handcuffed before placing them under arrest. One of the officers made eye contact with Hopper, and he decided it was high time he got out of there. He jumped back in his vehicle and threw it into drive, heading back to the house. The first set of protesters had disappeared.

The events troubled Hopper so much that he didn’t want to talk about it. After dinner, he restlessly passed by the phone several times, but the phone remained silent. 

The next day, as Bernie stepped outside to retrieve the paper, Hopper heard him yell. He ran back inside, robe disheveled and mustache wind-blown. “Guys, you’re never gonna believe what I saw.” 

Hopper knew all too well that he would believe, and as he and the kids stepped into the doorway, a military helicopter flew overhead, toward the Indianapolis skyline. Off in the distance, he could make out the silhouette of a familiar creature. His thoughts flashed to the eight eyeless serpentine heads, weaving and bobbing. The fleshy green scales, pallid yellow belly, and plumage of rust-colored fur adorning the creature’s body. And the main head. The cavernous head with its serrated jaws, weeping and gnashing, beckoning those unfortunate enough to go near it into the gates of hell.

“Dead! Dead! Dead!” El shrieked. Hopper scooped her up and bounded back into the house, locking the door behind him. 

“Shh, shh,” Hopper whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here. We got away from that thing once before. It won’t get us this time.”

“Is that what I think it is? Isn’t it supposed to be dead?” Jonathan asked. 

“Either they lied to us, or there’s a second one. Either one seems plausible at this point.” 

“So you’ve seen this before?” Bernie asked.

“We’re from Hawkins, remember?” Will said, unintentionally causing everyone to chuckle. 

“I was thinking we’d leave tonight, but with that thing on the loose, it might be best to wait it out a few days. I just don’t want to wait too long. We need to be on our guard, looking for the right opportunity.”

That evening, everyone sat around the television with their tv dinners, glued to the news. The Thessalydra had killed thirty people. The military had arrested groups of protesters, but no one knew an exact count. Journalists speculated about one hundred. Then, the riots began. Flashes of cars burning and smashed store fronts littered the screen. Peering out the window, they could see the smoky orange glow in the distance, but too close to be reassuring. Hopper decided the kids had enough and sent them to bed. When he headed upstairs an hour later, he found Jonathan, Will, and El all crammed into one room, the twin beds pushed together. 

“They were scared,” Jonathan said disapprovingly, but Hopper could tell that Jonathan felt it, too. 

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” he teased, and El pointed to a blanket and pillow on the floor. 

Hopper cocked a half smile, knowing he would regret this come morning. He settled in, getting as comfortable as he could, and tried to get some sleep. 

  
_“Hop, don’t leave me."_

_“I could never leave you.” He wrapped his arms around Joyce, embracing her._

_“I love you.”_

_He gazed into her warm, brown eyes and ran his fingers through her chestnut hair. His lips met hers, flushed against her fair skin. “I love you, too. Forever.”  When he pulled his hand away, he gasped._

_“Hop, what’s wrong?”_

_His hand trembled, clutching a fistful of snarled, dull hair. Festering wounds weeped as the rest of Joyce’s hair fell out in matted clumps. He watched in horror as her once smooth, fair skin became jaundiced, softening and sagging down her cheekbones. Her hollow eye sockets held deadened black eyes, and when she parted her cankerous lips to speak, wriggling, yellow maggots drooled out._

_He shrieked, recoiling in panic._

_“Don’t you still love me?” she gurgled, as the maggots fell to his feet. She reached out a bony, putrid arm._

Hopper startled awake in a cold sweat, his blanket and pillow soaked. Shivering, he made his way back to the other bedroom, stripped, and climbed in bed. _I can’t get away from this torture, even when asleep._ He feared closing his eyes, but when he finally fell asleep, he didn’t dream about Joyce again. 

The next week gave birth to even more perilous events. Riots sprung up around the country in response to harsh treatment of protesters and economic woes. Stocks plummeted lower than they ever had before, with many declaring it a plight worse than The Great Depression. Additional revolts broke out across the United States and adjoining countries, the Mexican government in complete disarray. In New York City, rebels from around the country banded together, establishing The Resistance, aimed at overthrowing the government. 

“Today is the day,” Hopper said. Two weeks had passed since their arrival at Bernie’s. The Thessalydra had disappeared, although other creatures lurked around. Riots continued, and the military arrested additional citizens. People whispered, spreading rumors of murders. The government, just a skeleton, grasped with its bony, fleshless fingers, attempting to regain any sense of control it once had.  

Although military operations had increased around the country and migrated south, Hopper still considered Nashville the safest place for his family. Much safer than Indianapolis. 

With their bags packed that night, they said goodbye to Bernie, thanking him for his hospitality. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Hopper asked.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I’ll be fine here, I think. I’m just waiting to get called back into work.”

“Yeah, well, I hope that happens for you.”

“It was nice meeting all of you. If you ever need a place to stay in the future, my home is always open.”

“And if you ever find yourself in Nashville, look us up.” The two men hugged before the family departed into the darkness. 

The moon cast an eerie yellow glow as the blazer bounced along winding back roads. Hopper watched in the rearview mirror as the Indianapolis skyline faded into the distance. _I have no idea where the fuck we’re going_ , he thought. _But I can’t let the kids catch on about how truly clueless I am._

“Can you turn on the radio?” Will asked.

“Haven’t you heard enough of that stuff?” Jonathan replied. “I’d like a moment where I don’t even have to think about any of it. To pretend like it doesn’t exist. My life has been nothing but a nightmare ever since we got that hotel room in Indy.”

“Yeah, well, mine has, too,” Will mumbled. “I just want to hear what’s happening with The Resistance.” 

“I don’t.”

“How about we put it on for thirty minutes, then turn it off for the rest of the trip?” Hopper suggested. 

“Fine.” They both sulked. 

Suddenly, a deep rumble beneath the ground sent the truck into convulsions. A gruesome creature burst forth from the earth, spraying chunks of dirt onto the windshield. It rose ten feet tall, its exoskeleton a yellowy-brown, generous mandibles nipping the air. It scuttled forth on six legs, pronged barbs jutting out from its shell. It rasped and clicked as it turned its head to the side, listening. 

“Shit!” Hopper screamed, pounding on the breaks and sending the teens slamming into their seat belts. He threw the truck into reverse, screeching into a u-turn and fleeing in the other direction. The creature nimbly whirled around and tore after them. 

Hopper sped through the dark forest, dodging tall pines and wayward branches. “Faster!” Jonathan yelled. 

Will and El clutched each other tightly. She whispered something into his ear, and he nodded as they stretched their hands out together, toward the creature gaining on them. “Now!” El shrieked. The surroundings jolted, their lungs filling with clammy, stagnant air. The stench of rotting fungus overpowered their nostrils. A heavy fog rose from the ground as gray flakes like ashes fell. Pulsating, thick vines buried themselves in every crack and crevice, secreting a thin jelly. 

“The Upside Down,” Hopper gasped.

“That’s not what I meant to do!” Will yelled. “I don’t want to be a flea!” He began coughing forcefully, gagging, before expelling a frothy black slug onto his lap. 

As El shrieked and Jonathan yelled, Hopper grabbed the writhing creature and chucked it out the window, rolling it back up as quickly as he could. “Fuck, Will, you didn’t tell me about that part!”

“I know!” he gasped, nearly hyperventilating. “I don’t want to die!”

Hopper stopped the vehicle and leaned over the front seat, gripping Will’s shoulders, staring him in the face. “Get yourself together, kid. You’re not going to die. We’re not going to die. We’re going to figure a way out of here.” He turned back toward the front. “Now, how are we going to get out of here? The main portal is over a hundred miles away, and I don’t want to know what we’ll come across in here.”

“Let’s try again,” El whispered. She looked at Will.

“No, I’m scared.”

“Friends trust each other.” She held out her hand and Will took it. 

As the pair focused every ounce of power they had in them, something happened. The miry vines separated as the earth cracked open, beckoning them toward the fissure in time and space. “Drive!” El commanded as crimson trickled down her upper lip. Hopper accelerated toward the portal and back to where they started. The creature had vanished. 

Drained, Will and El gasped for air. Hopper and Jonathan threw their doors open and pulled the pair out of the truck. “Are you okay?” Jonathan asked his brother as Hopper cradled El. 

“We’ve been experimenting with our powers, trying to figure out a way to combine them together,” Will labored. “It didn’t work out too well.”  
“I’d say it worked out pretty damn well,” Hopper replied. 

“I still don’t know what’s wrong with me. Why this is happening.”

“It’s okay, kid,” he said, patting Will on the shoulder. “You did good. Now I want you to get some rest while I drive.” He looked at El. The blood had dried in a crooked line and she looked spent. “You, too, sweetheart. Get some sleep.” He kissed her forehead before helping her into the back of the truck. 

As the group drove silently southbound, Jonathan turned the radio on low. 

“I thought you didn’t want to listen,” Hopper said.

“I didn’t, but I don’t feel like driving without knowing what we’re headed into. At least this way, if there’s something up ahead, we might know about it before we get there.”

“Good call.” 

But what they heard had little to do with where they headed. 

“Mayday, mayday. You are hearing from The Resistance here in New York City. We’ve taken over the radio here and elsewhere around the country. The President of the United States has ordered military crackdown on New York City. Ten to forty-thousand people have been killed. I repeat, tens of thousands of people have been killed. We’re declaring a call to arms. If you are at all able, take up your weapons and join The Resistance. Come to New York City if you can. Fight with us. If you are unable, find your closest city. We’re rising up everywhere, and we won’t stop until we take down our corrupt government.”

Jonathan and Hopper looked at each other in silence.

Early the next morning, the family arrived to what used to be Nashville, Tennessee, a shell of its former self. The skyscrapers still stood, but most stores were closed and not many people were out and about. Hopper didn’t see the military anywhere. He drove around until he finally found an open grocery store. “Stay here,” he told the kids. “I’m going to go buy a few groceries, then we’ll see if we can get a motel somewhere.” He walked into the dingy store. Citizens had picked the place apart, wiping out the milk, bread, and eggs. Hopper grabbed some granola bars and orange juice before heading to the register. 

An elderly woman with wisps of white hair falling around her ears stood in front of him in line, checking out some food items and batteries. She turned to Hopper and smiled. “Getting breakfast?”

“I am. My family and I just arrived. We’re intending to stay here for awhile.”

“Well, I don’t know about how safe it is here, but I suppose it’s safer than some places. Where are you staying?”

Hopper glanced down. “We don’t know, yet. I don’t actually have a plan.”

“Well, son, I know just the place. My neighbors left about a week ago. Said they wouldn’t be returning. Why don’t you come stay in their place?”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”

“Times have changed, and quickly. You’re offered a place, you take it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ingrid. Ingrid McCleary.”

“I’m Hopper.”

“Where did you say you were from, Hopper?”

“We just came from Indianapolis."

“Oh, dear. You got out just in time, then.”

“What do you mean?” Hopper asked.

“Haven’t you heard? The military bombed most of the city early this morning.”


	4. The Calm Before the Storm

The skyscrapers shown brightly against the late afternoon sky. They had made it to Birmingham. Vivian pulled off to a gas station to fill the tank. Hopper opened his wallet, finding his meager billfold and flipping through it to hand her a ten.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I was heading this way, anyway, and you already got your money stolen by that creep. The least I can do is give you a free ride. If you stick with me for a bit, I may even be able to find you a place to stay. I already have a place lined up for myself, but I can ask around for you if you want.”

“That would be great. Thank you,” Hopper said as he put his money back in his wallet.

After Vivian put gas in her car, she walked over to the payphone to make a call.

“Hey guys, we’re here,” Hopper said, turning around in his seat. They all slept, Jonathan against the window, Will’s head on Jonathan, and El curled against Will. He smiled, a rare occurrence in those days. They stirred and appeared momentarily horrified at their sleeping arrangement.

“I’m hungry,” Will said.

“You’re always hungry,” El teased. Will poked her.

“I still have some bread and peanut butter left over for dinner,” Hopper said. The kids groaned.

“No need,” Vivian said, popping back into the driver’s seat. “I have a surprise I think you’ll like.”

She drove for about fifteen minutes, past the downtown and out into the residential section of the city. Broken down cars littered alleyways and boarded up houses lined the streets. Vivian had to swerve to avoid several large potholes. Still, they welcomed the sight. Although The Resistance had controlled Nashville for close to two years, it hadn’t felt much different than the military.

They pulled up to a row of brick front apartments. Some appeared better maintained than others, but all looked run down. A burnt out blue car with its windows broken and tires slashed sat in the road. Graffiti, with sayings like America needs help and We shoot looters splashed across the buildings and other structures. The sidewalk crumbled, weeds and tall grass reclaiming the land. “This is it,” Vivian said. “I’ll be staying here in a one-bedroom apartment. Some of my comrades are here also, and some are staying in an apartment complex across town. There are also other civilians staying here and one empty three-bedroom apartment that I had to twist arms to get. That is, if you want it.” She winked.

“If we want it? Of course! Vivian, you’ve been such a godsend. Thank you.”

They placed their sparse belongings inside their new home. It already came furnished with a large mattress in each bedroom, a rusty stove, a mini fridge, a card table and folding chairs, and a much-loved couch.

After settling in, they walked out to the courtyard where many of the residents sat eating dinner. Vivian walked up with a paper plate and handed it to Hopper. “Pizza!” She smiled.

The kids whooped. “Pizza! I haven’t had pizza in at least a year!” Will cheered. Even El smiled ear to ear. It didn’t matter to the kids that the crust tasted more like bread than anything else, or that the sauce likely came from a year-old can. Even terrible pizza, with its cheesy goodness, was still pizza. Something that reminded them of a more innocent time. A time without heartache.

Hopper noticed lots of kids, something El and Will had longed for. For the first time in awhile, he allowed himself to relax. He sincerely hoped Vivian was wrong about her inside information. Scanning the crowd, he fixed his eyes on Will. It seemed that he had already made a friend.

“Did you get enough to eat?” Vivian sat down next to Hopper, propping her arms against the grass behind her as she stretched out.

“Yes, it was great. This is great. There are so many kids here. We haven’t seen many kids.”

“Families are attracted to Birmingham right now because of the promise it holds,” Vivian replied.

“A promise that you don’t believe to be true.”

“I hope it is.”

Hopper turned to look at Vivian. “So, we talked in the car, but you haven’t told me much about you. What is your story? What is your last name?”

She laughed. “Whittaker.”

“Well, I know you lived in New York City, and that you were part of The Resistance before joining the White Poppies. What else should I know about you?”

“I don’t like talking about myself, to be honest. I’d rather ask questions and learn about other people.”

“Fair enough. Anything you want to ask me?”

“Those aren’t your biological kids, are they?”

“No. I was dating their mother when she passed away. I promised I’d care for them. They had no one else.”

Vivian’s eyes softened. “That’s really sweet of you.”

Hopper bristled. “I didn’t do it for sympathy. If it weren’t for them, I—” He stopped abruptly.

Vivian shrunk back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. It’s obvious you care about them a lot.”

“It’s a pretty touchy subject.” He paused. “Seems like we both have those.”

“Hey, Hop!” Will interrupted, walking up to the pair. “This is Mark. He’s been here three weeks with his family.” A boy about Will’s age with red hair and light freckles scattered across his nose stood in front of him.

Hopper held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mark.”

“You too, Mr. Hopper.”

“Please, just call me Hopper. Hop’s fine, too.”

“Will do.”

Hopper chuckled as the pair walked off. “Will hasn’t looked that happy in a long, long time,” he told Vivian. “He was very close with a group of boys back home and hasn’t been the same since we left.”

“Have you heard from them?” Vivian asked.

“No.” He paused. “I might’ve fucked up, there.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we left town three years ago, I didn’t let the kids say goodbye. I thought it would be better that way. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Oh,” Vivian said, and Hopper could tell she thought a little less of him then.

“See? I’m really not a nice guy.”

“I’ll make that judgement for myself. Anyway, what’s the story with El?”

 _If only you could know the whole story_ , Hopper thought. “Same thing,” he said. “She had an irreplaceable friend in Hawkins. If anyone was crushed after leaving, it was her. She’s a whole different ballgame. She doesn’t forget things. Holds grudges. Will and Jonathan are more apt to let things roll off their backs.”

“Maybe I can help? It’s gotta be tough being the only girl.”

“Perhaps. Feel free, though. I could use all the help I can get.”

“Why don’t I invite her over for lunch tomorrow?”

“That would be great, but don’t be offended if she says no.”

“I won’t. We’ll just see how things go.”

Hopper spent the next few weeks settling in, looking for a job, and preparing schoolwork for Will and El. He snuck into the closest library, closed two years prior, and grabbed as many books as he could fit into his backpack, mostly ones he remembered reading in high school. Even with the country in disarray and his less-than-perfect parenting skills, he still believed in the importance of education. He saw it as one of the few things he could impart to them, something they would have forever.

Vivian kept her word and asked El over for lunch. Not only did El accept, but she stayed for lunch every day that week. Hopper considered that perhaps Vivian had better food than he did. _I really need to find a job, stat. I don’t even care what. But potatoes for days is getting rather old._

In fact, it seemed as if everyone had found a job but him. Jonathan worked every day at a nearby orchard, bumming rides from another guy in the complex who also worked there. Will washed dishes at one of the only restaurants still open in the city, and close enough to walk to. Even Vivian started babysitting, keeping the young kids of the parents who worked. The pay wasn’t much, but the parents also gave her produce and home-cooked meals. El volunteered to help, even though she wouldn’t be paid. _Even more time over there_ , he thought. _No one is ever here, anymore. If only my damn car hadn’t been eaten, I would have more options._

Restless after yet another failed job venture, Hopper spied the vacant lot across the street from his unit. Borrowing a shovel and hoe from a neighbor, he set to work.

Late that afternoon, as sweat poured down Hopper’s bare chest and the cicadas hummed in the trees around him, two long shadows approached from behind. Hopper turned his attention from his project to see Vivian and El watching him. “Hey,” he said, out of breath. He may have lost the belly he once had, replaced with leaner version of himself, but it was hot as hell, and he had worked for three hours.

“Whatcha up to?” Vivian asked as she handed Hopper a glass of water. “We were watching you from our window.”

Hopper cocked an eyebrow.

“It’s not as creepy as it sounds, promise.” She looked at El, and they shared a laugh.

Hopper gulped the whole glass of water before answering. “Starting a community garden. Can’t find work. Might as well do something.”

“What a great idea!” Vivian said. “El and I can help. My last kid just went home.”

“What would you like to plant, El? Carrots? Broccoli?” Hopper asked.

El wrinkled her nose. “You know I don’t like broccoli.”

“Oh, I know!" Vivian said. “We could plant blueberries, since I never seem to have enough when you’re around.”

“Yes! That would be amazing! Oh, and we could plant some fruit trees in the corner!” El and Vivian talked excitedly.

Hopper continued to toil at the earth.

“Hey, I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you. I’m gonna run back inside and get it,” Vivian said to El. When she returned, she held a book in her hand.

“The Catcher in the Rye! Thanks, Vivian. This is awesome!”

“One of my friends is moving on to a different site and has all these books. He asked if I wanted to look through them, and I saw this one. I remembered you saying it was your favorite book, so of course I had to save it for you,” Vivian explained.

“Thank you!”

“I already got that book for you,” Hopper said.

The pair turned toward Hopper.

“I got a bunch of books from the library for school and got that one for you. You already have it.”

By then, El’s furrowed brow had turned into a scowl.

“Well, if you already have it…” Vivian started.

“No, it’s great. I can always use two copies in case I lose one. This one doesn’t have the library binding on it, anyway.”

Not long after, Jonathan and Will pulled up in a beaten up Ford cruiser. “Thanks for the ride,” Jonathan said, as he shut the passenger side door. The pair walked over to the beginnings of the community garden.

“No job still? Or did someone hire you to do this?” Jonathan asked. Hopper knew he didn’t mean for it to sound sarcastic, but it it still stung a little.

“No, no job.”

“It’s going to be a community garden,” Vivian answered.

“That’s cool. Plant some of the good stuff for me,” Jonathan said.

“Funny.” Hopper shook his head.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny.” Jonathan smirked. “I’ll see ya inside.” He headed for the apartment building.

“Can I go over to Mark’s?” Will asked.

“Haven’t you been spending enough time over there? You’ve gone over after work for the last five days, at least. You trying to get out of eating my delicious potatoes?”

“Now who’s the one being funny? I just want to hang out with Mark, is all.”

“You’re falling behind on schoolwork.”

“I’ll do it tomorrow. Please? I’m not even working tomorrow.”

“Why don’t we do something fun, then? Maybe we could shoot targets. Or shoot some hoops.”

“Okay, I guess. I want to work on some of my drawings, too, but it’s cool. Can Mark come?” Will asked.

“Yeah, I suppose. Hey, we should probably get inside. Sun’s starting to go down.”

“So?” El said. “We haven’t seen anything remotely dangerous since moving here.”

“That’s not going to stop something from happening for the first time, is it?” Hopper asked. “Vivian, thanks for the help. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“No problem. Goodnight, El.”

“Night, Vivian.”

“So, can I go to Mark’s or not?” Will repeated.

“Yes. But be back in a couple hours.”

“Fine.”

As Will headed down the street, El and Hopper were left alone.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” El asked.

“What did I do?”

“You. Being all weird about the book.”

“I was just telling Vivian you already had it.”

“And you had to say it? Most people would just say thank you.” She tilted her head, looking at Hopper with condescension. No, not even that. Disgust? He couldn’t tell.


	5. The Revelation

“I’ve got it! We’re going fishing!”

Will groaned from under his covers. “What time is it?”

“Seven. Fishing’s best done early. If we can catch some fish for dinner, that would be great.”

“But on my day off? Come on, Hop. Give a guy a break.”

“Or we could have potatoes…”

“Fine, fine. I’m up.”

Will stared at the still water, transfixed by the silver, wavy lines. He had given up a half hour before. Hopper continued reeling in and recasting his line to no avail. “Must be overfished,” he grumbled. “Why don’t you boys see if you can dig around for some worms? Maybe the fish would like those better than this garbage bait I found in the tackle box.”

Will, eager to do something, anything else, jumped up. “Come on, Mark! Let’s go look for worms.” Once Hopper was out of earshot, Will turned to to his friend. “Sorry this is so boring,” he apologized.

“Nah, it’s okay. I like fishing. And it’s cool getting to spend time with Hopper. And you, of course.” Mark hit Will’s arm.

Will shoved him back. “Hey!” He smirked. “So you actually like fishing? I can’t stand it, really.”

“Yeah, I mean, normally it’s fun. When you’re catching fish.”

“I didn’t want to go, but Hop insisted.”

“I’ll bet it’s some sort of bonding attempt,” Mark suggested.

“It’s just lame when he doesn’t ask me what I want to do. He’ll probably suggest we go shooting next. Or put some sort of shit together.”

“If you could do anything in the world, what would it be? Not, like, superpowers or something. For fun, I mean.”

Will looked at Mark.

“What is your favorite thing ever?”

“Drawing.”

“That decided, huh?”

“I love art. I’ve been drawing since I can remember. My mom used to hang my drawings up on the fridge. I know all moms do that, but it meant a lot to me.”

“What was your mom like?”

Will thought for a minute. “Amazing. She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. But she was also strong. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. She saved—she saved all my drawings.”

“That’s not what you were going to say.”

“When all this stuff started going down, she kind of saved my life.”

“Is that how she died?” Mark asked.

“Yeah. But I don’t really want to get into it.”

“Understandable. Can I see them sometime? Your drawings, I mean?”

“They’re kinda personal. But I can make one for you if you want.”

“That would be really cool.”

“Your turn. If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?” Will asked.

“Fish?”

Will punched Mark’s arm.

“Kidding! Um, probably soccer. I was on the soccer team back home. But that was middle school. I haven’t really played since then. I just miss it.”

“I get that. I was never good at sports. Got picked on in middle school. My friends and I did. You’d get along, I think. I wish I knew what was going on with them.”

“Yeah, I miss my friends, too. This whole thing is super lame. Well, almost everything.”

“Will! Mark! Where are you?” Hopper shouted from the lake.

“Crap! We haven’t even looked for worms!” Will said.

“Don’t worry. I have an idea. Come on.”

Will followed Mark back to Hopper.

Hopper looked from one boy to the other. “Where are the worms?”

“We didn’t find any,” Will answered.

“How the hell not? They live in the ground.” He gestured his arms to the expanse of soil around them.

“I think I have a better idea,” Mark said. “Just give us a minute.” He grabbed the tackle box, flipped out all its contents, and led Will off the dock and to the edge of the lake. “Help me lift these rocks.”

“What are we doing?” Will asked.

“Crayfish hunting.”

“Crayfish hunting? To eat them?”

“To use as bait, dufus. Walleye live for this stuff.”

“Walleye?”

Mark looked at Will, wide-eyed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Will shrugged. “Sorry. So what do we gotta do?”

“Lift up the rocks. If you see a crayfish, catch it quickly. Crayfish don’t like having their hiding spots disturbed. They’ll swim backwards to the closest rock. But grab them across the back, otherwise you’ll get pinched. My friends and I did this all the time as kids.” Mark flipped a rock. Nothing. He flipped a second. “There’s a big one! That one has blue claws. Go for it, Will.”

Will inched a hand out toward the water.

“You gotta be faster than that.”

The crayfish darted away.

“Okay, watch me. I’m a little rusty, but I can probably get him.” He flipped the escapee’s rock, plunged his hand in the water, and grabbed the back of the crayfish before pulling it out of the water. Its tail flipped back and forth as it wielded its claws, grasping for anything within its reach. “Woo! One down. Let’s try to find a handful more. We should close the tackle box, though. These bastards like to escape.”

The boys flipped several more rocks, hollering every time they found a victim. With their pants rolled up and ankle-deep in the water, they made it a competition without ever calling it that. Mark was winning, of course. 3-0. Both were soaked, but neither cared. Even Hopper, still on the dock and watching, cracked a smile.

Will tossed a small rock, and there it was. His opportunity awaited. Throwing his hand into the water, he latched onto the wriggling creature. “I caught one!” he yelled in triumph.

“That’s gotta be the smallest crayfish I’ve ever seen!” Mark teased.

“Ow! Fuck, it pinched me!” he said, dropping it.

Mark doubled over, unable to contain his fit of laughter.

“Not funny!” Will said, grinning himself.

“Why don’t you boys get back over here and tell me what this is all about?” Hopper called.

“I suppose three is good enough for now,” Mark said, as they headed toward the dock. “It’s cool, I know what I’m doing,” he told Hopper, a strand of wet hair falling across his freckled nose. He brushed it out of the way. “I grew up fishing.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Hopper asked.

“I enjoyed seeing you get all exasperated.”

Will snorted.

“Funny, funny. But now it’s time for business. What are the crawdads about?”

“My dad and I used to do this. Crayfish, leeches, whatever we had on hand. Since it’s before noon, you’ll probably find the walleye hiding in the cattails over there.” He pointed. “That’s where they like to hide until it gets too hot, and then they go to deeper water. At least, that’s what I remember. It’s a bit fuzzy.”

“Where’d you grow up?” Hopper asked, hooking a crayfish.

“Minnesota.”

“That explains it.”

“Explains what?”

“Your weird accent.”

“Weird or the best damn accent you’ve ever heard?”

“Don’t swear around me.”

“Sorry.”

“Kidding!” Hopper laughed. “I like this kid.”

“Me, too,” Will replied.

“So Mark, whatcha think? Do we need to toughen Will up?”

“Totally.” Mark smirked at Will. “Probably a little target practice or building something’ll do it.”

Will shot Mark a death glare. “Can we get back to fishing so we can go home?”

Mark turned back to Hopper. “So you’ll want to put a bobber on.” He picked one up from the pile of tackle. “This one’s not great, but it should work. Then, just cast and wait.” Hopper followed Mark’s advice, and in less than a minute, he felt a tug on his line.

“Mark, you’re a genius. Why don’t you and Will go find some more crawdads and we can have a fish fry tonight? Your family is welcome to come. I appreciate them letting us borrow their car.”

“Sure. We can also use this leech.” He bent down to carefully pry the blood sucker from between his toes.

“I’ll be right back,” Will said suddenly, hurrying off into the woods.

“What was that about?” he heard Mark ask.

“Nothing. He’s probably taking a leak.”

Will dropped to his knees, heaving and hoping to god Mark couldn’t hear him. The black slug wriggled up his throat and slid out of his mouth with a soft splat to the earth, strings of saliva and mucous still attached. Without a knife on hand, he spied a large rock and picked it up. He brought it down on the spotted creature, once, twice, three times. Over and over until nothing remained, but a slimy pile of goo.

He still felt jittery when he returned. Hopper glanced at him briefly, knowing. _How am I going to keep this stuff from Mark?_ Will wondered.

Eight fish later, they had caught all they needed. “Hold on just a minute. I’m gonna go wash my hands off,” Mark said, heading for the water’s edge.

Will turned to Hopper. “Thanks for not saying anything.”

“No problem, kid. The fewer people that know, the better. Did you kill it?”

“Yeah. I smashed it with a rock.”

“Smart.” He put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “You know, I really—”

A shriek interrupted Hopper mid-sentence.

“Mark!” Will ran down to the lake, Hopper close behind.

Mark sat on the ground, crimson pooling under his leg and fading to pink in the water. Tiny lacerations formed a circle on his leg. Long, black tentacles slid back into the lake.

“My leg!” Mark howled.

“Here we go again,” Hopper mumbled, about to pull off his shirt for a tourniquet, but Will had already beat him to it. “Did you get a good look at it?”

“No. I bent down to wash my hands, and some black arm thing reached out and grabbed my leg and pulled me off my feet. Then I felt it bite my leg. I screamed and kicked it, and it went back in the water.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter what it was. The fact that it’s here means others are, too.”

Will held his shirt on Mark’s wound as the bleeding slowed.

“Thanks. This means a lot. And sorry about your shirt.”

“No problem. I mean, I’d do it for anyone.”

“So, can you walk on it?” Hopper asked.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Let’s get you to the car. I wanna get you home as soon as possible so we can get that properly cleaned up.”

“You know, I don’t really think it’s that bad,” Mark said, as the trio drove back to the apartments. “The bleeding’s stopped.”

“That’s good. I hope your parents aren’t too mad at me for letting this happen,” Hopper replied.

“Nah, they’ll be fine. If it helps, I can tell them you fought it off? Will told me you have an affinity for punching things.”

Hopper chuckled. “He’d be correct on that. So, you think your family can stop by? I’ll invite Vivian, too.”

“Whoa, Hopper, getting social on us, now?” Will joked.

“Don’t tell anybody. It’ll ruin my reputation.”

“I’m sure they’d like that,” Mark said. “But can I make a suggestion? A fish fry sounds great and all, but we should fillet these fish.”

“Do you know how?” Hopper asked.

“Not exactly. But my dad does.”

“If he’s okay with doing that, sure.”

“I think he’d probably enjoy it.”

Later that afternoon, four adults, three teens, and one infant sat around Hopper’s small living room. Will fixated on a worn spot on the maroon carpet and fidgeted. The palpable silence made him uneasy.

Hopper cleared his throat. “Sorry about Mark. I should have been there to keep it from happening.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. He’s seventeen. We don’t expect you to babysit him. We’re just glad you were there to help,” Mark’s dad said. “I just wish there was a place we could get away from these blasted creatures.”

A knock rattled the door.

“It’s open,” Hopper called.

Vivian walked in. “Sorry I’m late! My last kid’s parent was late picking her up.”

“Unacceptable. You’re just gonna have to turn around and go back home.”

“You and your shenanigans.”

“Who said anything about shenanigans? Totally serious, here.”

“Mmhm.” She turned her back to Hopper, facing Mark’s parents. “Hi, I’m Vivian. I’ve met Mark, but I don’t believe we’ve met. You must be his parents.”

“Yes, I’m Ben Petersen, and this is my wife, Lila. Nice to meet you.”

“And this is our daughter, Emily,” Lila replied.

“Aww, she’s adorable! How old?”

“She turned one a month ago.”

“Man, a seventeen-year-old and a one-year-old. I couldn’t do it. How do you manage?” Hopper chimed in.

“We just do. When birth control’s not readily available, things kind of…happen,” Lila said.

“Mom!” Mark yelled.

“Way to be awkward,” Jonathan told Hopper.

“What? Hey, at least they’re getting some. Because that’s more than—”

“Hop, geez! Come on!”

Ben let out a laugh. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s the kind of talk we’d be having over beers with good friends, am I right? All this means is we’re gonna be good friends!”

“Oh, I could go for a cold one right about now,” Hopper agreed.

“Absolutely. Why don’t we go filet those fish?”

Mark turned to Will. “You coming?”

“Eh, I think I’ll pass.”

“Suit yourself.”

Everyone wandered outside except for Will and El. El sat quietly for a minute before turning to her friend.

“Are you happy?”

The question startled Will. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I am.”

“I can’t figure out how to be happy.”

“Well, you’ve been through a lot. It makes sense.”

“So have you. What makes you so happy?”

“I’m not so happy. I said I think I’m happy.”

“Well, why do you think you’re happy?” El asked.

“It’s complicated.”

El looked at him quizzically.

“Mostly, it’s just being with the people I care about. You, Jonathan, Hopper.”

“Mark.”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s nice to have a friend again.”

“That’s what I don’t have.”

“You have me,” Will said.

“I know. And don’t get me wrong. You’re awesome, but…”

“I’m not Mike.”

“Yeah.”

“I get it.”

“How do you not miss them?”

“I do! Believe me, I do. And I miss my mom like crazy. I think about her every day. I think about everything we lost. And I’m mad and sad and frustrated and all of those things. But I also like to think about the good. I could’ve easily—I mean, the Demogorgon got me. I could not be here now, you know? But I am. And I’ve gained Hopper. And he’s not perfect. He can be annoying at times and even mean at times. But I appreciate that he’s here. I appreciate the people I’ve met along the way.”

“I don’t feel appreciative. I feel resentful.”

“I know. And hopefully with time, it’ll get better.” Will paused. “So I know this is weird, but I just want you to know that I love you.”

“I love you, too, Will. Even though you’re a weirdo.”

“So are you! We are weirdos together.”

“So, does Mark know about…the stuff? Have you told him anything?” El asked.

“No. I don’t want to freak him out.”

“Well if you haven’t done that already…”

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry. Too much sentimentality. Had to lighten the mood.”

“Hey!” Mark popped his head in. “You guys should come out. Hopper’s being socially awkward and my parents think it’s the funniest thing ever. I think they’ve forgotten how to have friends their own ages. It’s super funny to watch.”

Will turned to El. “Wanna go?”

“Yep. And thanks.”

“No problem.”

Later that evening, after almost everyone returned home, Will and Mark sat on Will’s bedroom floor looking over some of his comics.

Will glanced at Mark’s bandaged leg. “How’s the bite?”

“Fine, I guess. Hurts a little. Hopefully, it’s not, like, one of those situations where you get bitten by something then turn into a monster.”

Will forced laughter.

“Hey, earlier, when I walked in on you and El, what was El thanking you for?”

“She’s just having a hard time with everything, and we talked about it. I guess I helped.”

“You definitely have a knack for helping.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“Oh, it is. I like that about you.” Mark hesitated. “So since El’s not actually your sister, have you ever…”

It took Will a second to realize what Mark implied. “Ew! No! I don’t think about her that way at all. I think about her like she is my sister. Why? Are you interested?”

“No. Just curious. We haven’t really talked about this before. What kinds of girls are you interested in? Isn’t that what we are supposed to talk about?”

Will found that a strange thing to say. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it much.”

“Haven’t thought about it? How is that possible?”

“If you’re so interested in talking about it, what kinds of girls are you into?”

“Oh, you know. Big tits. Blonde. Like Erin, I guess.”

“Erin’s twenty-two. My brother would have a better chance with her than you, and he doesn’t exactly have a way with the ladies.”

“I didn’t say I had a chance with her, just that she’s my type.”

If Will were honest with himself, he hadn’t really noticed Erin. Or any girls, for that matter. He had endured a lot in his life. When would he have found the time or energy to put into a girlfriend? Mark’s pointed questions were becoming off-putting, almost accusatory.

“Have you even kissed a girl?” Mark asked.

“Can we not talk about this?”

“Sorry. I didn’t realize it was such a touchy subject.”

“Yeah, well it is.” _Because…because why, Will? What are you so afraid is going to happen?_

“I’m sorry. I really am. It’s touchy for me, too.”

“You sure don’t act like it,” Will grumbled.

“I haven’t actually kissed a girl, either.”

“Then why the hell are you giving me such a hard time about it?”

“Projecting, I guess.”

“Projecting _what_?” Will was getting frustrated.

“Look, I haven’t kissed a _girl_ , but I _have_ kissed…”

Will stared at Mark blankly.

“Oh, fuck, you really are this dense. Will, I like you. Like, a lot. Can I kiss you?”

Will found himself nodding.

Mark leaned in and pressed his lips to Will’s. Will’s heart pounded and his stomach flip-flopped like all the times he had ridden roller coasters as a kid. He wasn’t sure where to put his hands, so he settled for wrapping his arms awkwardly around Mark’s waist. Mark brought his hand up to Will’s face, sending shivers from the top of Will’s head down his spine. It seemed like it would go on forever while at the same time, not nearly long enough. Mark pulled away, grinning sheepishly. Will could feel himself blushing, too.

“It’s funny, I had a huge crush on you from the moment I saw you,” Mark said. “But you never know how these things’ll go.”

“Same here. But I don’t think I realized it until now.”

Mark leaned in and kissed Will again. “I should probably get going. It’s getting late. We should definitely hang out tomorrow, though,” Mark said. “That is, if you want to.”

“Yes,” Will blurted. “I mean, that would be cool.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Hey, before you go, can I tell you something kinda personal?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“It might take a bit to explain.”

“That’s fine. My parents won’t care. They know where I am.”

“It’s something that most people don't know about me. But I think I can trust you. Just promise you won’t tell your parents. Or anyone else.”

“I promise. So what is it?”

Will took a deep breath. “When I was twelve, something terrible happened to me.”


	6. The Nightmares

Hopper, Will, Jonathan, and El sat around the kitchen table finishing up the eggs and toast Hopper had fixed for breakfast.

“What’s wrong with you?” El asked Will. 

“What do you mean?”

“You have this stupid smirk on your face.”

“I’m just really happy, that’s all.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know if you were happy?”

“Now I know.”

“What’s the good news? I need some of that,” Jonathan chimed in.

“No good news. Just…nothing.”

“Well, that’s a disappointment.”

“Alright, chop chop. Everyone off to work.” After a month in Birmingham without a job, Hopper decided to offer up his handyman services to the surrounding community. He booked three jobs that day. Vivian hired him first, complaining of a backed up kitchen sink. 

“See ya, Hop.” Will ran out the door. Hopper could hear Mark’s voice on the other side. _Man, those two are inseparable,_ he thought. 

“Bye. I won’t be home for dinner. I’m gonna go shoot some pictures downtown. I’ll be back before dark, don’t worry,” Jonathan said.

Hopper had already made it clear that he didn’t want the kids out after dark anymore. Not since they saw the creature at the lake. 

“Okay, El. Ready?”

“Yup.”

The pair walked across the complex toward Vivian’s apartment, passing by the community garden. “Hey, look!” El exclaimed. “My broccoli is starting to sprout!”

“You’re growing broccoli?”

“Yeah, Vivian said it might be fun just to grow it, and that I can feed it to the kids.”

“I see. Not a bad idea.”

They knocked on Vivian’s door, and she answered, a baby on one hip and a toddler wrapped around her leg. “Hey guys! Come on in!”

“That looks…fun,” Hopper commented.

“I’m glad you think so, because I just got word that I need to go to a meeting with the Poppies. Tag, you’re it.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don’t do babies.”

“They’re not at the top of my list, either, but you do what you can to help out,” she said, handing the grubby infant over to Hopper. “I promise I’ll be back in an hour. Two tops.”

“What about El?”

“She’ll be here to help.”

“Fine. My next appointment’s at noon, so you’d better be back.”

“I owe you. Thanks.” Vivian patted Hopper’s arm as she walked out the door. 

He turned to El, helpless. “What do I do?”

“Shouldn’t you know? You had one, once.”

“That was thirteen years ago.”

“You feed it, burp it, change it, and play with it. Sometimes, it sleeps. Simple.”

“Okay. What’s its name?”

“James.”

“James, huh? You and I have the same name!” Hopper cooed at the boy. 

An hour and a half later, Vivian returned. El sat in the living room with a handful of toddlers and preschoolers playing Duck Duck Goose, or at least trying. 

“Where’s Hopper?” she asked El. 

“Shhh, go peek in there.”

Hopper paced the dark bedroom rocking James in his arms, softly singing.

“Baby mine, don’t you cry.

Baby mine, dry your eyes.

Rest your head, close to my heart.

Never to part, baby of mine.”

He heard a noise and turned toward the door. “Oh, hey. Uh, James was crying, so I was just trying to get him to sleep. How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Vivian smiled. “Where did you learn that song?”

“That? Oh, it’s nothing. I used to sing it to—I mean—yeah, I just know it.”

“It’s okay,” Vivian said. “El told me you had a daughter.”

“Oh, she did? Because that’s not really your business or her story to share. Excuse me, I’ve got to get to my next job.” Hopper handed the baby to Vivian and hurried out of the room.

“Hopper, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I owe you for the sink, and the babysitting.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t get to the sink. I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Hop, I’m sorry.”

He turned to her, eyes distant. “I _said_ don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later.” He swung the door shut behind him. 

_Little one, when you play,_

_Pay no heed, what they say._

_Let your eyes sparkle and shine._

_Never a tear, baby of mine._

Hopper held her close and rocked gently. His lips brushed against her baby fine hair as he breathed in that distinctive newborn smell. 

Diane walked up and put her hand on his shoulder. “She’s perfect, isn't she?”

“Perfect, just like her mother.”

“Smooth.”

“She has your nose,” Hopper said.

“She has your eyes. She’ll be a charmer, this one.”

Hopper’s fist flew through the drywall of his living room wall. He stopped and stared at what he had done. _The kids are going to see this. Why the fuck can’t I control myself?_

That evening, after everyone returned home, no one mentioned the hole in the wall. Hopper knew they had seen it, though, because Jonathan offered to help Will and El with their homework, and neither of them complained. He climbed into bed without a word.

_Dense fog rose around Hopper’s feet as he paced through the cemetery. Around every corner, an iron fence blocked his exit._

_“Hopper!” Someone whispered his name. “Hopper!” He looked but didn’t see anyone._

_He stumbled over a rock, but when he glanced down, a broken headstone lay at his feet._

_Joyce Byers, it read._

_Fuck. This was no good._

_The fog cleared a path, and there, just ahead, he could see more tombstones. He moved closer to read them._

_Sara Hopper_

_Diane Weaver_

_Jonathan Byers_

_William Byers_

_Eleven Hopper_

_He slowly backed away, tripping over a tree root and falling to the ground. Looming above him, the Lake Creature appeared. It had grown in size. It reached out its slimy tentacles, and Hopper rolled out of the way just before one slammed down, almost crushing him._

_“Over!” the creature’s rusty voice called. “Over, Hopper!”_

_He ran down the cemetery path almost colliding with Vivian._

_“Vivian! Thank god! I need your help. How do we get out of here?”_

_“Out? It’s a bit late for that, Hopper.”_

_She turned around, the back of her skull exposed, brain matter oozing out. Hopper yelped._

_“You let this happen. All of it. And now it’s your turn.” She grabbed his arms and held him down as the monster inched toward him, tentacles fluttering._

_“No! No!” The creature grabbed him around the arms, but instead of pulling him in toward its gnashing teeth, it shook him._

_“Wake up!” it hissed._

_“Wake up!”_

“Wake up!”

Hopper startled awake and, tangled in his sheets, fell to the floor with a thud. 

“You were yelling in your sleep again,” Will said.

“Sara or Mom?” Jonathan asked.

“Both,” Hopper answered, leaving out the part about the three of them. 

“We’re all gonna camp out on your bedroom floor,” Jonathan said.

“No you’re not.”

“Yes, we are,” Will said. “You need us.”

“Fine. On one condition. This ain’t no slumber party. No staying up until morning talking about girls. Sleep, and only sleep.”

“Deal,” Will said.

“I’m gonna go back to my room,” El said. “I think you’ve got this pretty much handled.”

“You sure you don’t want to join us? You heard Hopper. We’re gonna talk about girls all night.”

Hopper crumbled up a piece of paper and threw it at Will’s head.

“Hey!”

“Sleep. Sleep. Sleeeeeep.”

“Okay, you good? Cuz I’m good. See you in the morning.” El closed the door.

Even though he felt a bit like a child, Hopper appreciated the boys’ gesture. El, on the other hand. Something had to give. He made a mental note to talk to Vivian before he fell back asleep.


	7. The Broken Relationship

El sat on the toilet, staring at the blood on her pants and in the bowl.

 _Oh my god, I’m dying._ Her eyes filled with tears. How could she tell anyone that she was bleeding there of all places? And why? Could it be related to her special abilities? Maybe whatever caused her nose to bleed had caused this, only now, irreparable damage had been done.

She threw her underwear in the trashcan and wadded up a bunch of toilet paper to put into a clean pair. Maybe it would stop, like her nose always did. But her nose never hurt. This hurt.

The chilly Nashville air cooled the house enough to make El shiver. They had moved in the week prior, and Hopper couldn’t figure out why the heater shut off randomly. She wrapped herself in a blanket and headed back to bed. She would check in the morning.

But by morning, it hadn’t stopped, and it had leaked onto her bed. She stared at the bloodstained sheets and buried her head in her pillow.

Her muffled cries woke Will, who sat up, startled. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m dying,” she cried.

“What! How?”

“Bleeding.”

Will looked around. “Where?”

El looked down and pointed.

Will made a face. “Oh yeah, well, I think that happens to all girls.”

“All girls?”

“Yeah, it’s like, how they have babies or something. My mom told me about it. I don’t really remember. It was gross.”

El’s eyes grew wide. “A baby?”

Will laughed. “No. You have to have sex for that.”

“What’s sex?”

“No way. No offense, but I’m not explaining it to you. Go ask Hopper.”

El’s eyes pleaded.

“Go ask Hopper first, and if he gives you a hard time, I’ll explain it. Or maybe Jonathan can.”

El padded over to Hopper’s bedroom door, wincing at the cold floor on her bare feet. She knocked. No answer. She knocked a little louder and heard a grunt, then mumbling. The door cracked open, and Hopper appeared, blond hair disheveled and drool crusted to the side of his face.

“What time is it? It’s too early, El. What do you need?”

“A question.”

Hopper sighed. “Alright. Let me get dressed. I’ll make us some breakfast and you can ask me whatever it is you need to ask me.”

Hopper put a plate of Eggos in front of El and offered syrup, which she declined. “So what’s your question?” he asked, sitting down.

“What’s sex?”

Hopper choked on his waffle. “Uh, is that really your question? I’ve never had to explain that to anyone before. Actually, there was this one kid, Ricky, and he was naive as hell. We were thirteen and no one had told him, so I finally had to—” He paused and looked at El, clearing his throat. “Why now?”

“Bleeding.”

“You’re bleeding? Wh—Ohhhh. Huh, so no one’s explained _that_ to you? Uh, I’m not really sure what to tell you. I’m not the person to ask.”

“Ask who?”

“I don’t know. We just got here, so I don’t know anyone, really. I mean, isn’t it something you can figure out yourself? Like, intuition, or something?”

El glanced at the floor, embarrassed. Was this something she should be able to figure out on her own? Why was she so stupid?

She walked to her bedroom and got back in bed.

“Everything good?” Will asked.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Cool,” Will said, relieved. “Let me know if you need anything.”

El’s period ended a few days later, but she spent the next few months using wads of toilet paper. It wasn’t until she got to know Mrs. McCleary that she finally had someone to ask. Her elderly neighbor happily gave El the information she needed about sex. She also helped El sew cloth pads and a little bag to keep them in her bedroom discreetly.

“I’m getting so sick of pads!” Vivian said. It was a slow day at Vivian’s daycare. Some sort of virus was going around, so she and El only had James and his two-year-old sister, Anna, to care for. Both were taking a nap.

“I don’t mind them,” El responded.

“You would if you had ever used tampons. So much better! This recession is so stupid. How are feminine hygiene products not a necessity?”

El sat on the couch, deep in thought. She already told Vivian about Mike and her difficult past, though she hadn’t divulged details. How could she without revealing the whole, messed up situation? Mostly, she’d just enjoyed bonding with someone who wasn’t male and learning all about womanhood, something she hadn’t really been able to do up until then.

“Hey, what’s up?” Vivian asked. “You look like you have something on your mind.”

“Oh, nothing specific, really. Just thinking back through my life a bit.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I can’t.”

“I know. You’ve said that before. And I don’t want to pry. I’m a firm believer in leaving people’s business alone if that’s what they prefer. But, you are young, and I worry about you. Did something happen?”

“Yeah.” El thought for a minute. “Oh, but not like that. And not Hopper or Will or Jonathan. Before then.”

“I figured as much.”

“It’s just that…I want to talk about it. I need to. But the most I’ve talked to anyone about it is Will. And he’s great and all, but it’s not like he’s an adult or anything. I want to talk to Hopper, but he and I aren’t exactly on good terms right now. I don’t think he can handle talking to me. I’ve tried. A few times. It didn’t go very well.”

“Why do you think that is?” Vivian asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, he’s been through a lot, too. We all have. From what I know, he’s never been very good at dealing with feelings or bad things that happen. And part of me gets that. But the other part thinks that he’s an adult and needs to act like one.”

“Do you think it’s possible he’s depressed?”

“I don’t know. He wakes up screaming sometimes at night. He has bad dreams a lot. Happened just last night, actually.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah. Will and Jonathan camped out in his room.”

“Sounds like a lot of struggling all around. How are Will and Jonathan doing?” Vivian asked.

“Will seems to be doing fine. He even said this morning that he’s very happy. I don’t know how. He’s a weirdo. Jonathan’s just quiet. Goes out a lot. I don’t know. I’m not that close to him. Will would know better. Uh, oh, I think James is fussing.”

Vivian hopped up to get the boy before he woke his sister. El fixed a bottle for him and settled back down on the couch, handing it to Vivian.

“I do think I need to talk to someone. About my past. I’m just trying to figure out how much I want to tell,” El said.

“I’m willing to listen if you’re ready to talk.”

El took a deep breath. “Okay. Here goes. I don’t know my real mom. Never did. I guess when she had me, I was taken away from her. I was adopted by an older man. I called him Papa. But Papa never let me go outside or go to school or have friends. He taught me to read and write and all that. But I only ever saw him and his family. To the rest of the world, I didn’t exist. He would…lock me up alone. Take things from me when I was bad. He never touched me or hit me, more like…manipulation, I think?”

“Neglect,” Vivian responded.

“Yeah. And it’s hard, because I did love him in some weird way,” El said.

“That’s pretty typical, I think.”

“When I was twelve, I ran away. That’s when I met Mike. He hid me in his basement for a week before I was found. Hopper was police chief then, so that’s how I met him. Mike had a few friends who I met, and one of them was Will. That’s how I met Jonathan and their mom. Right at that time is when the monsters showed up. Papa died. Will’s mom died. Since I had no one, and Will and Jonathan didn’t, either, Hopper said he’d take care of us. And now, we’re here.”

“Wow, that’s certainly a lot. And I get the sense that there’s a lot you’re leaving out, which is okay. I’m just glad you were able to share this with me,” Vivian said. “No wonder you love Mike so much. He was the first person in your life to really care.”

“And I don’t feel like anyone gives a shit.”

“I think they would if they knew how deeply you felt about this.”

“No, they wouldn’t. Not even Will cares as much as I do, and they were friends longer.”

“It’s probably different for him. He had other friends. He has Mark now. Mike, although a great friend to him, doesn’t hold the special significance he holds for you,” Vivian said.

“I guess. Were you ever a counselor? Because you should be.”

Vivian laughed. “Considered it. Was a nurse, actually. And you know what?”

“What?”

“I know you worry about not knowing all the right things and being a bit awkward, but I think, for all you’ve been through, you’re incredibly well-adjusted. You’re resilience is admirable. You’re a beautiful, smart, caring young woman, and I’m glad to have met you.”

“Thanks, Viv.” She wrapped her arms tightly around her friend, causing James to fuss and the pair to giggle.

“What do you say we make a blueberry pie? I _think_ I have all the ingredients, but even if I don’t, it’ll be a blueberry _something_.”

“That sounds awesome,” El said as the three headed toward the kitchen.


	8. The Reveal

Chapter 8: The Reveal

As Hopper returned home from fixing a toilet, he noticed it. A creature, stalking around behind a brick building. He didn’t recognize this one. Like the Demogorgon from years before, it appeared almost human-like. It started toward him on clubbed feet, gray skin sagging almost off its body. Bones protruded and swollen sores splashed across its torso and arms. Stringy, black hair fell across its face, most of it taken up by a vertical mouth and fangs, a long tongue flicking in and out. In his peripheral, Hopper saw El and Vivian coming down the street. The creature turned its head toward them. _Shit._

“Hey, over here!” He waved his arms, and the monster look toward him once again. El and Vivian stared at him, perplexed. They hadn’t seen it. Hopper felt for his gun. _Not again._

Then Vivian screamed.

“Run! Go back to your house!” Hopper yelled. “I’ll take care of it!”

Vivian tried to pull El in the opposite direction, but she stayed frozen in her tracks.

 _What the fuck is she doing?_ Hopper’s mind raced.

“Hey! Hey!” The creature ignored him this time, dragging along toward Vivian and El. At least its clubbed feet made it slow. Hopper ran over to where El and Vivian stood. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked El. She didn’t answer. He looked to Vivian, who appeared just as confused. “Do you have a gun? Anything? We need something to kill this thing.”

“Yeah. I’ll go get it.” She ran toward her apartment, leaving Hopper and El.

“It looks like the Demogorgon,” El whispered.

“Not exactly, though.”

“Close enough.”

“Can you kill it?” Hopper asked.

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can. Vivian’s not here. Just do it.”

“I—I don’t want to.”

“El, come on! Get over whatever this is and just do it! Either that or run! But you’re gonna have to do something, and fast.”

El looked up at him. She lacked her typical spunk, replaced instead with despondency. She turned and focused her attention on the monster, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips. As she reached her hand out, the creature stopped, then slid back ten feet. It slammed against the brick building, shrieking as El’s telekinetic power pulled it apart until it exploded. El fell to the ground, purple veins spreading across her face and nose bleeding.

Hopper dropped to his knees and tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away. “No! No! Get away!” she choked.

A clatter sounded on the road, and as Hopper looked up, all the blood drained from his face. There, Vivian stood, open-mouthed, gun fallen to the ground.

“Vivian—”

“What the hell? What are you? Are you one of _them_?” Her eyes narrowed. “Please, just stay away.” She turned and rushed back toward her home.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” El screamed.

“El—”

“No! Don’t talk to me! You’ve ruined my life! I hate you!” She tried to stand and stumbled back to the ground. She looked up at Hopper, speaking in barely a whisper. “At least when I was with Papa, I didn’t know what happiness could be. Now I do, and you’ve taken it all away from me. You’re worse than Papa.”

“Okay.”

Hopper’s response briefly surprised El before her face turned stony once more. “Once I can get up, I’m going home, and I’ve gotta figure some things out, because I can’t live with you anymore.”

Silence.

“Okay? I’m not going to run away this time, but I’m not staying. I’ve just gotta figure out where I’m going first.” She paused, waiting for a response, but Hopper didn’t answer. “Well, I’m going home.” She got up slowly and staggered away, leaving Hopper sitting in the middle of the road.

_I’ve failed. This isn’t working. I’ve gotta get Vivian to talk to me._

Hopper waited for a moment before getting up and heading toward Vivian’s apartment. He knocked at the door.

“Who is it?” Vivian called.

“Hopper.”

“Go away.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“I just need you to go away, please.”

“Can you give me five minutes to explain? If you still don’t want to talk to me after five minutes, I won’t bother you anymore,” Hopper said.

The door cracked open. “Five minutes. That’s it.”

“Deal.”

Hopper sat on Vivian’s couch while she sat in the seat farthest away from him.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what the fuck you saw,” Hopper started.

Vivian nodded.

“We’re not monsters. I’m completely normal, just like you. El’s not normal, but she’s no monster. I don’t know how much she has shared with you, but she was born with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. When her mother was pregnant with her, she was subject to various experiments. One of the lead scientists, as much as I loathe giving him that title, stole El at birth and made her mom out to be crazy. He kept El locked up most of her life.”

“Papa,” Vivian whispered.

“Yeah. So she has told you some things. He did experiments on her and forced her to use her abilities on things she didn’t want to use them for.” He stopped. “Uh oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I _am_ Papa. Fuck. That’s what she’s been trying to tell me all along, and I was too stupid to listen. I’ve gotta go.”

“Hop? I’m sorry. I was just freaked out. I’ve never seen anything like that before, y’know?”

“I know. Please don’t take it out on El, though. She thinks the world of you.”

“I won’t. Please tell her I’m sorry and that she can come see me when she’s ready. You, too. I know you need to go find El, but I’d really like to talk more sometime.”

“Will do. I’ll see you soon, Viv.”

“El?” Hopper yelled as he walked through his apartment door. Will and Mark sat on the couch, springing apart. Hopper could’ve sworn he saw… _Oh, never mind. Not important right now, anyway._ “Boys, did El come home?”

“Yeah, she’s in her room,” Will answered. “She looked really upset.”

Hopper knocked on El’s door. No answer. He knocked again, then opened it a crack. El lay in her bed, asleep. _I guess I’ll have to talk to her tomorrow_ , he thought. _If she’s even here, tomorrow._ He set his alarm early, just in case.


	9. The Secret

“What are we doing here? I’d really like to not run into any monsters today.”

Mark had driven Will to the wooded park where they last fished. And where the lake monster tried to eat Mark. Hopper had gotten up early to try to talk to El, but she refused to come out of her room. Will, sick of hearing the two yell at each other through the door, told Mark he wanted to go somewhere. This was not what he had in mind.

“I mean, we can’t go to my place, because my mom is there, and we can’t go to your place, because Hopper’s there. This is someplace private we can hang out and talk,” Mark explained.

“Yeah, just this place gives me the creeps.”

“I think it’s nice. We won’t go by the lake. Promise.”

They wandered through the woods, stopping when they found a nice-looking area to sit. A couple maples stood next to a flat, mossy patch. The boys spread out a big blanket and plopped themselves down against the trees.

“Did you bring the stuff?” Mark asked.

“Yeah,” Will answered. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out his drawing pad, handing it to Mark. “Don’t be too mean. Like I said the other day, this kind of represents my life.”

Mark flipped through the first pages one by one and watched dragons and wizards battle and monsters traverse the Upside Down. The drawings increased in intricacy as they revealed life after Hawkins. Will’s stop in Indianapolis, his Nashville home, candid drawings of Hopper, Jonathan, El, and other people whom Mark had never met. More creatures. More of the Upside Down. Simpler things, like detailed images of vegetables and even baby Emily. “Wow, these are great. I’d love to have one. That is, if you’re willing to part with one.”

“How about I draw one for you? I can draw the trees, since you like it here.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

“I started this book when I was twelve. It’s almost filled, but I don’t have enough for a new one. Not yet. I liked to draw fantasy for awhile, but now I like to draw realism, mostly. There’s enough in my life to keep it interesting.”

For the next hour, Will drew as Mark sprawled out and read comics. Mark was right. This was a nice spot.

“So what’s it like?” Mark broke the silence. “Coughing up slugs?”

“It’s not fun, that’s for sure.”

“How often?”

“Probably about once a week.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think you’ll try using your powers again?” Mark asked.

“I don’t really like to call them powers. More like a curse. Besides, I only know how to open portals to the Upside Down. Well, I don’t even _know_ how, exactly, because sometimes it happens randomly, and sometimes I try and I can’t.”

“Makes sense.”

“I can’t believe you’re not asking for proof.”

“I got bitten in the leg by a monster. Nothing seems unbelievable to me at this point. Besides, I figure sooner or later I will see you cough up one of these slugs, and that’s all the proof I need.”

Will smiled. “Hey, did you get a new shirt?”

Mark looked away sheepishly. “Yeah. I saved up some of my work money for it. Do you like it?”

“Yeah, it looks nice. Makes you look like a lumberjack or something. Minus the beard.”

Mark rubbed his bald chin and laughed. “Someday.”

He scooted over and rested his head in Will’s lap. Will relaxed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the tree trunk. “I wish we could be like this forever.”

“Right now seems pretty damn good to me.”

“Do your parents know?” Will asked.

“Fuck no. They’d never be okay with it. My dad, he’s just—I don’t think I could ever tell them.”

“Won’t they figure it out eventually when you never date a girl?”

“I dunno. Maybe I’ll have to.”

Will suddenly found the moss interesting. “Yeah, makes sense,” he mumbled as he picked at it. “Maybe I’ll have to, too.”

Mark didn’t seem to notice. “What about Hopper?”

“No, he wouldn’t understand. I’m not sure Jonathan would, either. Maybe. I think El might be okay with it.”

“I’m just not ready to tell anyone, you know?”

“Yeah.”

Mark sat up. “Hey, it’s okay that no one knows. We have this thing. Our own special little thing and it’s no one else’s to mess up. Who cares what’s going to happen later on. The world could be gone, for all we know.”

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

“So do it.”

Will pulled Mark toward him and threaded his fingers through his hair. Their kiss deepened as Will tried frantically to unbutton Mark’s shirt. His fingers shook, so Mark did it for him, tearing it off.

“Don’t ruin your new shirt,” Will mumbled.

“I don’t care.” Mark cupped Will’s face and pressed him against the tree, kissing him roughly. He pulled Will’s shirt off and flung it to the side. He kissed Will’s collarbone as his hand drifted to the waist of his pants and stopped. “Do you want me to do this?”

“Fuck, yes,” Will blurted. “I mean…”

“It’s okay.” Mark said, unbuttoning Will’s jeans and sliding his hand inside, causing Will to whimper.

“I am so into you.”

“I know.” Mark smiled.

“Is that weird?”

“You’re fine.”

“Have you done this before?”

“Maybe. Does it matter?”

“I don’t know. This is my first time.”

Mark shook his head, grinning. “I know, stupid. Just shut up, okay?”

“Okay.”

As soon as Mark’s lips met Will’s, they heard a shriek from somewhere in the woods.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have come out here, after all,” Mark said.

Will began throwing his items back in his backpack. The boys grabbed their shirts and hightailed it to the car.

An hour later, Hopper peered around the woods cautiously. “So why were you out here, again?” he asked the boys.

“Uh…um—”

“We heard you fighting with El and wanted somewhere quiet. I like nature, so I suggested we come here,” Mark explained.

“Okay…” Hopper said slowly. “You do know you almost got eaten by a monster here?”

“We weren’t going to go by the water,” Will said softly.

Hopper glanced from one to the other. “Okay. Where did you hear this noise?”

Mark pointed. “We weren’t sure if it was human or not, and we were too afraid to check by ourselves.”

“Good call.” Hopper aimed his gun as he walked slowly toward the spot Mark had pointed to. He came to a clearing, turned in a full circle and lowered his gun. “Whoever or whatever was here before isn’t now.”

“Guys, look!” Will pointed to a break in a tree trunk. Inside, covered in strings of red-tinged mucus, lay three medium-sized green eggs.

“Oh, hell no!” Hopper shouted. “This shit ain’t happening. Boys, stand back.” He aimed and fired into the nest, destroying all three eggs. “Let’s get going before the mama shows back up.” He turned to the teens. “I want you to understand this very clearly. Do not come back here by yourselves. Got it?”

“Yes,” they both answered, looking at the ground.

Later that evening, as Will pondered the day’s events while lying in bed, he heard a knock on his bedroom window. He walked over and lifted it open. “Hey, mind if I come in?” Mark asked. “My parents think I’m asleep, so I snuck out.”

“I don’t know when Jonathan’s coming back,” Will said. “He said he was going to chill with friends.”

“Maybe he’s with _Erin_ ,” Mark joked.

“Ha, maybe. Doubt it. Probably Curt.”“Who’s Curt?”

“The guy he gets a ride to work with.”

“Oh.”

“You can come in,” Will said. “You just gotta be quiet.”

“Does your door lock?”

“No.”

“Let’s put something in front of it. And if Jonathan comes, I’ll jump through the window while you come up with an excuse for the blocked door.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

The boys shoved a piece of furniture in front of the door, then climbed into bed. Mark rested his head against Will’s chest. Will couldn’t imagine a better place at that moment.

“When did you know you were, you know, gay?” Will asked.

“Nine.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, it’s when I first had a crush on another boy. I’d had sort of crushes on boys before, maybe girls, too, but I don’t even know if that’s what it was. This was more real, I guess. Visceral. What about you?”

“Not until you? I mean, it’s not like I never thought about it before…but I just kinda pushed it away.”

“That’s normal, I think. The last guy I was with was the same way.”

“The last guy?” Will asked.

“Yeah, the last place we lived. And there was one, before that. In Minnesota, when I was fourteen. That was just a kiss, though.”

Will suddenly felt awkward again. “How did you…find all these guys?”

“All these guys? It was only two. And you kind of learn to pick up on clues, you know? I found you, didn’t I?”

“I guess.”

“Hey, I don’t know how to make it any clearer that I like _you_ and want to be with _you_ right now.”

“Sorry. This is all new.”

“I just really want you to know that. Sorry for snapping. You’re right, it is new. Hey, how’s your picture coming along?”

“It’s coming,” Will said. “I kinda got sidetracked earlier, but I’m working on it. Maybe by tomorrow. Hey, you know what we should do tomorrow? Get as many people together as we can to play a game of soccer.”

“You don’t even like soccer.”

“But you do. And maybe I’ll learn to like it.”

“I don’t know how I feel about having my boyfriend judge my skills. I’m pretty rusty.”

Will’s heart jumped. “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I know you said you suck, but it still feels weird having you see me play.”

“No, I mean the—am I your boyfriend?”

“I was hoping so.”

Will leaned in for a kiss a bit too eagerly and knocked his nose into Mark’s, sending the two into stifled laughter. His stomach swam and his head spun.

“So I take it you’re cool with that?”

Will woke at four a.m. to use the bathroom. The boys’ clothes lay in a heap on the floor, and Mark slept quietly at his side. They had spent the night kissing, exploring each other’s bodies, and talking about anything and everything.

Will dressed, then tiptoed over to the door and, as quietly as he could, moved the dresser out of the way. Walking down the hall, he saw Jonathan passed out on the couch. _I should probably tell Mark to go home_ , Will thought. But when he got back in bed and Mark rolled over, wrapping his arms around Will, he thought maybe another hour wouldn’t hurt.


	10. The Attack

Hopper listened to the rain patter on the window as he lay in bed. Guess work will have to wait, he thought. He got up and hopped in the shower before dressing and knocking on El’s bedroom door. The two had managed to exchange a couple sentences the day before without yelling.

He heard rustling inside the room, and then the door cracked open. “Yes?”

“Do you work today?” Hopper asked.

“No, I haven’t been over there. Don’t intend to anytime soon.”

“Do you know if the boys work today?”

“Why don’t you ask Jonathan? He’s right over there,” she said pointing to the couch.

“You wanna have breakfast?”

“Haven’t we tried that like a million times? When has it worked before?”

“I’m not looking for anything to ‘work’, just wondering if you want breakfast. You don’t even have to say anything if you don’t want to.”

El thought for a minute. “Fine. But only because I’m hungry, and I’m sick of staying in this damn room.” She opened her door, walking down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Hopper shook Jonathan. “Hey, want breakfast?”

“I don’t work till this afternoon, so I’d rather sleep in,” he mumbled, rolling back over.

“Fine.” Hopper knocked on Will’s door. No answer. He cracked the door open then shut it abruptly, just as El walked out of the bathroom. He turned around, looking like he’d seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong with _you_?” El asked. “Also, ever heard of knocking?”

“I did.”

“More than once or…”

“I should have. God, I should have.”

“Was Will like…” El shuddered. “I made that mistake once. Never again. That’s when I stopped sharing a room with him.”

“I’m gonna run out to the store to get some bread. I just realized we’re out.”

“You don’t have a car.”

“It’s only two miles.”

“By the time you get back, it won’t be breakfast, anymore. And it’s raining.”

“Right. I’ve just gotta get out of here.”

“Hopper, what did you see?” El asked warily.

“I really shouldn’t tell you.”

“I mean, I can always tell Will you opened his door and saw something…”

“Fine, fine. But let’s go to my room.”

Hopper closed the door behind him and sat on his bed, head in hands.

“Seriously, what could be so bad?” El asked.

Hopper sighed. “Will was sleeping. And…”

“And?”

“Mark was in bed with him.”

“Okay. Well, you know, I’ve slept with Will and Jonathan a bazillion times, and so have Jonathan and Will, so maybe…”

“No. No, I could tell. That’s not what this was.”

El paused. “So what? So what if that’s what’s going on? There could be worse things. Like, pretty much everything else.”

“Joyce mentioned Lonnie calling him that once, but I didn’t think—”

“Again, so…what…?”

“It’s not that I think it’s _wrong_ , exactly. It’s just… _why_?”

El shrugged. “I dunno. I mean, who knows why any of us feel the way we do. You, for instance. You’re so fucking terrified of getting close to anyone.”

“No, I’m not.”

El grunted. “Oh, yes you are!”

“That has nothing to do with Will.”

“But it does. Can’t you see it? Will is happy. He said so himself. Are you happy? Am I happy? Jonathan’s not happy.”

“How do you know? He seems fine to me.”

“My point is, it’s incredible that anyone can be happy in this situation. Let him have it. What I wouldn’t give for that.”

“I’m—I’m sorry I haven’t listened to you. No excuses. I’m just sorry.”

“Thanks. Just—listen to Will, okay? You two still have a decent relationship. This could make or break that. Trust me.”

Hopper, El, and Jonathan sat at the kitchen table, eating apple and cheddar omelets, courtesy of El. Will walked out of his bedroom and grabbed a plate, sitting down. “Sorry, guys. I overslept. You should have knocked and told me breakfast was ready.”

Hopper choked. El shot him a look.

“It’s okay. We just sat down. You don’t work today, do you?” Hopper asked.

“Yeah, I do. But not until tonight, so it’s okay. I could have set my alarm. Should have.”

“What’s Mark up to?” Hopper asked casually. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw El furrowing her brow, glaring.

“Wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen him since yesterday afternoon.”

“Okay. Well, tell him I said hi.”

“Um, okay.”

Hopper tried so hard to be cool about the whole thing, but he didn’t know how to convey that without giving away what he knew. He also figured he needed to talk to Will about being safe, but how was he supposed to have that conversation when he wasn’t entirely sure, himself?

“It’s about time for me to head off to work. Thanks for breakfast, El,” Jonathan said, standing up.

“Anytime,” she said, saluting.

“I’ll do dishes,” Will offered.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. It had stopped raining by two o’clock, so Hopper headed to a job. As he repaired a roof to a home a mile away, he noticed something peculiar. In the distance, he spotted a cloud of smoke. Not totally unusual in and of itself, except for the color. The greenish-yellow mushroom quickly abated, and as Hopper pondered this strange occurrence, the smell hit him like a ton of bricks. Chlorine.

“Hey! Hey!” He began banging on the roof to get the attention of the people who lived there. “Chemical attack!”

An older couple forced their door open, coughing heavily.

“Get in the car and get out of here!” Hopper shouted.

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me! Just go!”

Hopper didn’t know much about chlorine gas, but he knew that it settled, most dangerous to those inside and on the ground. Even on top of the roof, his eyes began to burn. He had to get back home somehow and check on his family.

He watched as the gas spread through neighborhoods. Listened to the screams as people ran out of their houses. In between coughs, he tried to warn others of what he saw, but it became increasingly difficult. He pulled his shirt and undershirt off, using the undershirt to cover his mouth and nose.

_I hope the kids are okay. Dear god, I hope they’re okay._

Just as he resigned himself to the fact that he would never make it off the roof, a familiar car pulled up. The driver’s side door to the two-tone Chevy hatchback opened, and a person, face obstructed by a gas mask, stepped out.

“Hopper!” a muffled voice yelled.

“El! Is that you?” He coughed.

“Yeah! Get down here and let’s go!”

Hopper made his way to the ladder and climbed down as quickly as possible, practically jumping into the car. El handed him a gas mask, which he promptly put on. She sped off toward the apartments.

“I borrowed Vivian’s car to come find you. Will told me where you were. He hasn’t left for work yet. Viv had some of these gas masks. Gave me two.”

“Thanks, kid.” He coughed. His chest was beginning to tighten and burn.

“Will’s back at home helping. I’m gonna swing back and take you and as many others as I can to the hospital. Then, I’m going to keep helping Vivian and transporting people.”

“Jonathan—” Hopper struggled. “He’s closer to the blast?”

“Yeah, but Vivian said the orchard’s farther west, so hopefully not direct exposure.”

Neither filled in the blank of what that could mean.

“I could go get him—” Hopper coughed.

“No, Vivian said it was too dangerous. Best case scenario, someone’s taken him to the hospital and we’ll find him there.”

They reached the apartments. All around, people staggered. Some yelled. Others donned gas masks and assisted. Hopper turned to El. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel mostly fine.” She jumped out of the car, and Hopper saw her talking to a family briefly before carrying a young child and placing her into the car as her parents got in. The woman carried a baby. Hopper recognized them as baby James and his sister Anna.

“I can’t do this,” Hopper told El as she assisted an elderly couple into the car. “Give my spot to someone else.”

“Hopper, you’re not doing well. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just come back for me.” He coughed.

“You can always get a ride with someone else. We have about five cars running. Some should be on their way back.”

“Stay safe, El.”

“You too, Hop.” After adding a lightheaded teen to the mix, she jumped in the car and drove south toward the hospital.

Hopper walked toward a group of people but stopped when the world started to spin. He collapsed to the ground as everything turned black.

Hopper woke in a makeshift hospital bed, an IV drip going and an oxygen mask on his face. He propped himself up and looked around. He did not recognize this place. Beds lined the room, about two feet apart. He could hear people moaning and crying out. He tried to draw the attention of a nurse, but no one stopped. After a fourth try, a young woman paused. “Oh, you’re awake! Good. I’ll let Vivian know. She’s been worried about you.”

A minute later, Vivian appeared at his side. “Hop! You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“My head is pounding,” Hopper answered.

“I can get you some aspirin. I don’t have much else.”

“What is this place?”

“Building next to the hospital. Hospital’s overcrowded.”

“What are you doing?”

“Volunteer nurse. There is only one doctor and two nurses over at the hospital, so a bunch of us healthy individuals stepped up. El’s doing a great job.”

“El’s volunteering? Is she okay? What about Will? Jonathan?” Hopper attempted to sit up all the way, which sent him into a coughing fit.

“Hop, lie back down. El’s fine. She’s been a champ, helping people with their oxygen masks and cuddling kids. She’s got a knack for it. Will’s also fine. I believe he’s next door, searching for Jonathan.”

“So Jonathan—”

“We don’t know where he is,” Vivian said, putting a hand on Hopper’s arm. “But it’s still early. A lot of people are missing. Give it time, and try not to worry too much.”

“What about Mark and his family?”

“I believe they’re all fine. I’m not entirely sure, but I can check around and see.”

Hopper hesitated before asking the next question. “Did anyone die?”

Vivian looked down. “Yeah.”

“How many?”

“Twelve so far.”

“Anyone we know?”

“Hop, now’s not a good time for—”

“Anyone we know?” Hopper said, more forcefully this time.

“Yeah. Baby James didn’t make it.”

Hopper looked away as his eyes glassed over. He pursed his lips. “Okay.”

“Hop, it’s horrible. I’m sorry.”

“I only met him the once.”

“I know, but I know you sort of bonded with him and—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hopper mumbled.

“It’s okay to be upset. I’ve been crying, and I’m sure I will, again.”

“I _said_ don’t worry about it.”

Hopper’s curtness caused Vivian to grimace. “Okay, well, I’m going to make my rounds. I’ll send some aspirin along. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Hopper didn’t answer. He stared at the far wall until it became a blurry mess.

The next forty-eight hours felt like a fog. Many people recovered and left. Volunteers helped transfer the more severe cases to the actual hospital. Although Hopper still felt like shit, he was well enough to be discharged. Jonathan had developed fairly serious complications, so he headed over to the hospital to see him. A few more people had died, making the total sixteen.

As Hopper left the makeshift hospital, he looked around. Birmingham, though never great, just didn’t feel the same. The city that once held a little hope now stood as a shell, a reminder of their unfortunate reality. Just like every other city. He wasn’t sure who had set off the gas, but he had his suspicions, and he figured he would talk to Vivian about it soon enough.

“Hopper! You’re up!” Will shouted as he walked into the room. The particular room, once designed for a single person, now held four.

“Yeah, it took me forever to figure out where you were.” He looked at Jonathan, awake but clearly not well. “How you doing, bud?”

Jonathan pulled his oxygen mask off for a moment. “Better. They say I’ll recover.”

“Most deaths happen in the first forty-eight hours,” El added.

“Do we know anything about the attack?” Hopper asked.

“Now that everything’s under control, Vivian is meeting with the Poppies to figure that out. Rumor has it that the military did it,” El said.

“But, why?”

“Don’t know yet.”

“How are you two doing?”

“We’re fine,” Will answered.

“It’s weird,” El added, “because everyone around us got at least a little sick. So did I. Not bad, just a headache, but still. Will has been totally fine, and he was definitely exposed. He didn’t even get his mask for five minutes after I did.”

“That is weird,” Hopper said, suddenly coughing. “Any idea why I got pretty sick?”

“Well, you were closer to the blast, even if you were on the roof. I also learned that smokers can have more problems,” El said. “Even if you don’t smoke anymore.”

“Huh. You sound like an expert, kid.”

“Nah, I just helped out. And learned some stuff while I was at it.”

“Well, I’m proud of you. Both of you.”

El averted her eyes.

“How’s Mark?” Hopper asked Will.

“Good. With his family back at the apartments.”

“That’s good.”

“Hop, one of us can take you back there if you want. So you can rest,” Will suggested. “Don’t worry. I opened up all the windows, so it’s aired out by now.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Hopper felt nauseated just sitting there.

After a few hours of sleep, Hopper’s nausea abated, but when he walked into his living room, his stomach dropped. Several people sat around the room talking in hushed voices, including a few he didn't recognize.

“Good, you’re awake,” Vivian said to Hopper. “We’re in trouble.”


	11. The Military

“But why are they doing this?” Hopper asked, exasperated. Vivian had just explained to him that the government set off the chlorine bomb and intended to exert military control over Birmingham.

“Here, let me show you something. Come sit next to me.” Hopper found a spot next to Vivian on the couch as she showed him a map of the United States. Or what used to be.

“See the red? Those are the areas that the government currently occupies. The green shows where The Resistance holds control. Some other groups have cropped up, so that’s what you see with the other colors.” She pointed to Birmingham. “And here we are. We were kind of an anomaly. Called a Conflict-Free Zone, but I figured it was only a matter of time before someone stepped in. Guess it was the government. They have a couple excuses they’re using. One, that monsters have been spotted here, so they need to move in to rid the area of them. Second, there are rumors going around that civilians are collaborating with rebel groups and there’s the potential that we rise up and become violent.”

“And that’s why they say they needed to use chemical weapons,” a White Poppy said. “They’re fighting the monsters and protecting us from ourselves.” He rolled his eyes.

“So, did the gas have any effect on the creatures?” Hopper asked.

“We don’t think so. But it’s too chaotic to be sure. What we know right now is that it’s too volatile to stay here.” Vivian referred to her map again. “A few White Poppies plan on staying in the area. The rest of us are splitting up and joining various cohorts around the country. I’m scheduled to go to Jacksonville.”

“Florida?” Hopper pointed to the map. “But it’s green. So that means The Resistance is there?”

“Yes, but it’s stable. At least right now, there’s little conflict. There’s literally nowhere else in the country that isn’t controlled by someone.”

“What about us?” Hopper asked. “What will we do?”

“Well, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I’ve loved getting to know you all.” She smiled at El. “You especially, sweetheart. I wouldn’t recommend staying here, so you’re welcome to tag along with me. But I’m headed out tonight.”

“What about Jonathan?”

“Bring him. He’ll likely be fine, and we can find care for him when we get there, if need be.”

Will’s eyes met Mark’s, and Hopper knew what he was thinking. He’d let this happen once before. Not this time. “Why don’t you come with us, too?” he said to Ben and Lila. “I’d hate to break up two really good friends. It’d be easier to readjust already knowing some people.”

Lila turned to Ben. “I don’t know. What do you think? We hadn’t really talked about what we were going to do. We can’t stay here with Emily. It’s just too dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Ben said. “Sure. We’ve got to go somewhere. Might as well be with friends.”

Will’s eyes exuded gratitude. Hopper nodded at the boy in response.

All in all, fifteen people would leave that night. They decided to split the group up to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. The Petersens would take one car. An older couple would take another, along with Jonathan, so that he could rest in the back. An unnamed White Poppy planned to drive a single mom and her two young children. And because Hopper still didn’t own a car, he, El, and Will would ride with Vivian. She stressed the importance of staggering leaving. It could take upwards of ten hours to get there, and that didn’t include sleep, if they chose to stop for that.

Hopper and Will packed as much as they could reasonably fit while El checked Jonathan out of the hospital. When the pair returned, Hopper placed immediate necessities into Vivian’s car and the rest in an accompanying vehicle. Too much luggage in Vivian’s hatchback could draw unwanted attention. They all planned to meet at the same spot in Jacksonville between one to two days later.

They headed out just as the sun faded into the horizon. Vivian stayed away from the areas she knew to be problematic, and the group escaped Birmingham without issue.

About an hour and a half into the trip Vivian noticed they needed gas. “I wasn’t planning on stopping anytime soon, but you know how plans go.”

“It looks like there’s a town called Sylacauga coming up,” Hopper said, looking over the map.

“We’ve got to be careful. Any of the towns around here could be teeming with soldiers, and although I’ve got a general idea, I’m not certain what the conflict situation is in every pocket.”

“Understood. Let’s stop at the closest station, get gas, and hit the road. No bathroom breaks. Nothing.”

They pulled up to a darkened gas station in town.

“I was afraid of this,” Vivian said.

“Curfew,” Hopper replied.

“Yep. I think our best bet is to head into the mountains away from town and camp out there overnight. We can return here in the morning when it’s open and we look less suspicious.”

Vivian put the car into drive and got ready to head back to the road when a military vehicle pulled into the lot and blocked her in. Four men in fatigues jumped out.

“Get out! Get out now!” one yelled. Hopper turned to the kids to reassure them, but a soldier pulled his door open and forced him out.

Hopper held up his hands. “We’re just passing through. Didn’t know there was a curfew.”

“Where you headed?” another barked, shining his flashlight into Hopper’s face. “Or perhaps, more importantly, where you coming from?”

“Birmingham.”

“Why would you be running from Birmingham unless you were running away from the government?” The man towered over Hopper with at least three inches on his 6’3 frame. “That can only mean one thing. You’re part of The Resistance.”

“Absolutely not. We’re on the side of the government, but my wife here has a sister in Georgia who’s dying. We need to go see her before she passes.”

“Is that so? Your kids look nothing like her.”

“Previous marriage.”

“Where’s your wedding ring?”

“Sold them. Hard times all around.”

“I don’t like you. I’m gonna have to take you with me. Your family will be escorted back to Birmingham.”

“No! We stay together.”

“You don’t really have a choice in this.”

Seeing the commotion, Vivian hopped out of the car, but one of the military men apprehended her before she could get to Hopper. “Get your hands off me!” she yelled.

The tall man sauntered up to Vivian. “I have one question for you.” He pointed to Hopper. “Is this your husband?”

She looked at Hopper. “Yes, of course. And I don’t appreciate you jerking him around. Let him go!”

The man turned to Hopper. “I’d have to kill you if it turns out you’re lying to me.”

A soft, gray flake landed on Hopper’s nose. Then another. And another. At first, he thought it was snowing, but it couldn’t be. It was only September. He glanced again at Vivian, who wore the same perplexed expression.

“Let them go!” El stood beside the open car door, Will at her side. The parking lot groaned as darkness closed in. Black fingers sprang forth from the ground, spreading like a cancer over the gas station building, causing it to rupture. Flashes like lightning burst forth from the fissure.

“Go!” Hopper yelled, as he, El, and Will sprinted for the Upside Down. Vivian fled tentatively, and before she could make it to the nearly engulfed structure, a hand grabbed her arm and slammed her to the ground. The tallest of the men hovered over her as the other three ran for their truck, afraid.

“Come on!” one yelled from the window.

“I don’t let people get away,” he said.

“I don’t know what the fuck that is, and if you don’t get in here, we’re leaving without you!”

The man yanked Vivian up by the arm, making her cry out, and dragged her toward their vehicle. His neck snapped, and he fell over, dead, as Vivian screamed.

Hopper lifted El from the ground, limp and nearly unconscious. Will rushed to Vivian, urging her toward their only escape. A cold chill ran down Hopper’s spine as he sensed the watchful eyes of the unknown, and he shuddered at the thought of the Upside Down as sentient. As the four made their way through, their only means of exit sealed itself shut.

The air, cold and thick, clung to Hopper’s clothes, drawing in a chill. This didn’t bode well for his cough, which had abated but returned again in full force. He still cradled El, trying to warm her up, but as cold as he felt, he wasn’t sure how much good it was doing.

“Where are we?” Vivian murmured.

“The Upside Down,” Will answered. “It’s where the monsters come from.”

Vivian looked around, wide-eyed. “So this is what the government has been trying to hide. How long have you known about this place?”

“Years,” Will said.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about us,” Hopper added. “What you saw the other day was only the tip of the iceberg. And now, there’s no turning back. Welcome to the club.”

“I think I’d rather join a different club,” Vivian mused.

The group headed for Vivian’s car, now covered in a thick layer of sludge. They got in as Vivian turned the key. The car sputtered and flickered its headlights before dying.

“Well shit. What now?”

They heard a distant shriek.

“I think we stay put for the time being,” Hopper said.

El gradually came to, curling herself in a ball and facing the back of the seat. Tears rolled silently down her face, dropping and soaking into the fabric.

Vivian noticed, putting her hand on El’s shoulder.

“I hate killing,” El murmured.

“Sweetheart, no one likes it. I’ve killed, too. It doesn’t get easier,” Vivian sympathized.

“I’ve killed a lot of people.”

Vivian looked at Hopper, eyes brimming with questions.

“She was used as a weapon,” he responded. “That, and self-defense.”

Vivian stroked El’s hair until she fell asleep. Hopper shook with chills, coughing, huddled up next to Vivian to stay warm. Will rested against Hopper’s left side.

Several hours later, the four woke. Vivian tried the car again with no luck. They decided to get out and walk, searching for a portal. El had rested up pretty well, and Hopper thought he could at least manage. He only hoped his coughing wouldn’t attract any nefarious individuals.

“What do you know about this place?” Vivian asked, looking around. She inspected the tendril-like vines, the thick layers of muck and slime, and the floating gray specks in the air.

“It’s another dimension,” Will explained. “Right next to us, but we never knew it. Until a tear was created. It’s like our world, only everything bad. Cold, dark, filled with monsters.” He paused. “I spent about a week here. El, almost a year.”

Vivian turned to the girl, wide-eyed. “But _how_?

“I was desperate. I ate things no one should eat. Slept anyplace warmish I could find. But ultimately, I don’t know,” El muttered.

“Do you know how the portal was opened in the first place? Was it the government?”

Before El could answer, Hopper spoke up. “Yes, it was the government. The same sons of bitches who had El. An accident from one of their no-good experiments. That’s about as much as any of us know.”

“I thought so,” Vivian replied. “I still have so many questions, but I’ll leave it alone for now.”

El glanced up at Hopper with relief.

Will stopped walking and doubled over. A slug slid out of his throat and onto the ground, then tried to slither away. Hopper stomped on it and ground his boot into the dirt.

“Do I even ask?” Vivian said when it was all over. “You weren’t kidding when you said the tip of the iceberg!”

They wandered the vast wilderness for several hours, mostly in silence. When Hopper’s chest began spasming, sending him into fits of coughing, the group decided to take a rest. But where could they rest? They found the thickest patch of trees and huddled close for warmth. Eventually, sleep overcame them, but not without its torment.

Sometime later, El woke screaming. Her whole body shook as her breaths became erratic. “I can’t do this again! I can’t! I’d rather die!” she cried.

Hopper knew the feeling.

“Shhhh, just relax. I’m here with you,” Vivian murmured.

“But _they_ will come! I can’t be in here anymore!” She reached out her hand, willing something, anything, to happen, but it was no use.

They needed to get El quiet, and fast. Vivian grabbed her by the shoulders. “El, look at me,” she said. “I am with you. Hopper is with you. Will is with you. You are not alone. We won’t let anything happen to you. If I needed to, I would give my life to protect you. I love you, and I _will_ get you out of here.”

El said nothing, grabbing onto Vivian and sobbing into her arms.

A little while later, she turned to Will, eyes bloodshot and puffy. “Can you try again to open a portal? I can’t do it by myself.”

“I can try, but they don’t want us to leave.”

“What do you mean _they_?” Hopper asked.

“I don’t know how I know, but I can just sense it. They want us here.”

“For _what_?” Hopper yelled.

“I—I don’t know.” He looked to El. “But I’ll try.”

Will stood up and together, he and El combined all the force they had. Nothing. El let out a cry and sunk to the ground.

“ _Wiiiill_ ,” came a whisper from the trees. “ _Wiiiill_.”

“Hey, do you hear that?” Will asked.

“Hear what?” Hopper said. Vivian and El looked at Will quizzically.

Will looked around but only saw black shadows. “I thought I heard something.”

Suddenly, one of the shadows moved, making a gurgle-like, clicking sound, becoming higher pitched until it ended. The creature, a dull gray, rose to about seven feet tall, its face like a tulip. Razor sharp teeth lined the inside of its eyeless face.

El screamed. Hopper sprung from the ground and slowly backed away, pulling Vivian, who stood frozen in place.

“Uh..uh..uh..uh…” Will couldn’t speak. The Demogorgon stood in front of him, studying him. Hopper was just about to leap forward and grab Will when the creature reached out, touching the boy with its long, slender arms, then fondled his head with its mouth. As quickly as it happened, the Demogorgon turned and took off in the opposite direction. They heard its shriek in the distance.

Will cried out and dropped to the ground. Hopper, El, and Vivian ran to him, inspecting his body for wounds. Demogorgon slime dripped from his hair.

“Why didn’t you _do_ anything?” he yelled.

“It all happened so fast. I’m sorry,” Hopper said.

“I could’ve been eaten!”

“I know, but you weren’t. And I want to know why.”

“I killed it. I know I did,” El said.

“Maybe it’s another,” Hopper answered.

“Can we just get out of here? It knows where we are and it might come back,” Vivian begged.

The group walked until they were too exhausted to go any farther. They had spent over twenty-four hours in the Upside Down. When Hopper held his hands up to his face, they shook. He was about to ask El where to find food and water, when Will yelled.

“Guys! Come here!” Will stood in front of a large oak tree. It appeared dead, its thin, black fingers branching out. It looked like every other tree in the Upside Down. That wasn't the interesting part. Hopper looked at the trunk, a hole carved out of the center. Black guts, much like the inside of a pumpkin, hung across the opening. He reached out his hand to touch them, and they began pulsating.

“Hurry!” Hopper yelled. “It’s our way out!” He quickly urged El through the crevice, then Vivian and Will. Finally, Hopper made his way through and back into the fresh air. He gasped at the contrast, then heaved and coughed until he vomited. His stomach held such little food that almost nothing came up.

“We need to find some water, stat,” Vivian said.

“I honestly don’t think I can walk another few feet,” Hopper said.

“I feel mostly fine. I’ll walk with you,” Will told Vivian. “I don’t know what we’re going to carry water in, though.”

“We’ll figure it out. You sure you two will be okay?” Vivian asked El and Hopper.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” El responded.

As the pair walked off, she turned to Hopper. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, I feel like shit, but fine, considering. You?”

“Same.”

Hopper managed a chuckle. “So, you still thinking you’re gonna leave?”

“That’s on pause for the moment.”

“I see. I just hope you’ll reconsider.”

“Hop, we fight all the time. We don’t get along. I think it would be for the best.”

“I get that. So, what kinds of things have you been interested in lately? What have you been thinking about?”

El cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m genuinely curious. I haven’t been doing a good job as a parent figure. I want to do better.”

“It’s not going to change my mind.”

“I’m sure it won’t. I’d still like to talk about it.”

El shared cautiously. “I’ve mostly been hanging out with Vivian. Well, until that monster situation. We talk a lot. I can talk to her about lots of things, and she answers my questions. Things you were never able to answer. Girl stuff. But yeah, I’ve mostly been reading, babysitting, and I think I want to be a nurse.”

“Really? That’s great!”

“Yeah, I don’t really know _how_ to become a nurse, but maybe.”

“Was it the chemical attack?”

“Yeah. I think I did a pretty good job. And seeing how no one’s really taken good care of me, I’d like to take care of others. Maybe I’ll be a pediatric nurse and take care of kids.”

Hopper stared at the ground.

“It’s wasn’t just you. And you’re not worse than Papa. I was just frustrated. Very frustrated. Justifiably frustrated. But what I said was not entirely true. I said it to hurt you.”

Hopper groaned. “I am, though. I made a bad situation in your life worse. I wish I could’ve made up for all the shit you went through. If Joyce were here, she would have.”

“No one can make up for it. And I’m sure Joyce would have been great. I didn’t get to know her as well as you, but she seemed amazing.” El put her hand on Hopper’s shoulder.

“She really was.”

“I’m sorry you lost her.”

“And I’m sorry I’ve pressured you to use your abilities so much. I don’t know what it’s like to be different in that way. From now on, you get the final say about that.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Why don't we try to get a little rest before Viv and Will get back?” Hopper said.

“Sounds good to me.”

They lied down under the trees, speckled sunlight flickering through the rustling leaves. It didn’t take long before Hopper fell asleep.

The pair woke two hours later to the sound of a rumbling engine.

“Oh, shit! The military!” Hopper sat up quickly, rousing El. But instead of a large hummer, a sedan appeared through the trees.

“Vivian and Will!” El yelled, standing.

The driver’s side window rolled down as Vivian leaned her head out. “Get in!”

The two climbed into the back and shut the doors. “Where did the car come from?” Hopper asked.

“Will and I thought we might try to find my car, but it seemed impossible, so instead we walked in search of a water source. What we found was even better.”

“But where did it come from?”

“We stole it.”

Hopper cleared his throat. “Stole?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“It just seems so unlike you.”

“You’re not the only one with secrets,” Vivian admitted.

Hopper stared at her for a good ten seconds. “Okay then.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I think it was abandoned. I didn’t steal it from a civilian.”

“Nah, I don’t care, just surprised. What’d you do? Hot wire it?”

“Yup.”

“Huh. So…where are we going now?”

“Trying to get out of this damn forest without hitting any trees. It’s like a maze in here.”

“You want me to drive?”

“No, I’m good.”

After weaving their way out of the mountains and stopping at a remote gas station for water and snacks to tide them over, the group drove on for about ten more hours. They remained vigilant when going through borders and took less populated roads. In every new state, Vivian stopped to take the license plate off someone else’s car and put it on their own. “Less chance of being stopped this way,” she said. Most of their driving took place during daylight hours to look less suspicious. Danger lied in wait.

Finally, at about ten p.m., they pulled up to their new home in Jacksonville, FL.

The new, if poorly constructed, row of attached townhouses called out to Hopper. He wanted nothing more than to sink into a warm bed and sleep for twelve hours straight.

“Vivian!” A White Poppy Hopper recognized, but couldn’t remember the name of, hurried down some townhouse steps. “We were afraid something happened!”

“Hey, Kyle,” Vivian said. “Nope, just hung up for a bit. We’re fine.”

“I’m sure you’re wondering which is yours. Viv, you’re in the tan house with me. Hopper, right? You and your family are right next door in the blue house.”

Vivian looked at Kyle warily.

“There weren’t enough places. We had to group up. Two of the other families have, too.”

“What about Mark?” Will asked.

“The Petersens? They’re on the other side of you.”

Just then, Jonathan walked out of the blue house. “Hopper! Will! El! I worried you were dead!” He hugged Will tightly.

“I’ll tell you what happened later,” Will whispered.

“Is my stuff in my room? I do get my own room, right?” Vivian asked.

“Of course,” Kyle said. “And yes, it’s there.”

Vivian turned to her travel companions. “I’m going to go take a warm shower and relax for a bit. We’ll talk later.”

“Sounds good,” Hopper replied. He walked into his own house and found his room. Smaller than their last place, the two bedrooms meant he and Jonathan would share a room once again. “El’s not gonna be happy about this,” Hopper mumbled to himself. He collapsed onto the bed, then thought better of it and got up. Streaks of dirt and dried slime covered his clothes and hair. No one had followed him in, likely catching up with Jonathan outside or stopping over at Mark’s. Either way, Hopper was thankful for the peace and quiet.


	12. The Storytellers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times (and depressing times)

Chapter 12: The Storytellers

The next month passed by in a blur. September made way for October, but it remained hot as hell. The group had celebrated Vivian’s thirty-third birthday the week prior. Hopper didn’t bother to look for a new job, picking up where he left off in Birmingham. Vivian found him a car, so he expanded his odd job business past the surrounding mile or two. El started her own babysitting gig, and with Hopper’s permission, she worked out of their home. Jonathan and Will both found jobs at the local supermarket. Everything returned to normal, except it didn’t. So many of the people they had gotten to know remained in Birmingham or escaped someplace else. Hopper found himself wondering about them on a regular basis. The presence of The Resistance provided the starkest difference. Not so much on their quiet neighborhood street, but definitely on every major street. Donned in their black uniforms, The Resistance traveled around in pick up trucks with their automatic rifles, attempting to intimidate civilians into compliance and support. Hopper instructed his family to lay low at all times and never draw attention to themselves. Thus far, their diligence had paid off.

Although no major attacks had happened specifically in Jacksonville, kidnappings, shootings, and arson abounded, mostly in the epicenter. An unknown person set off a bomb in a nearby town, so Vivian led her crew in search and rescue. El had asked to go, too, but Hopper refused.

Vivian kept pretty busy, but that didn’t stop her from working part-time at a local store, owned by an older couple sympathetic to her need for flexibility. Most people respected Vivian for the tough and dangerous job she did.

One evening, after Hopper dragged himself home from mowing what seemed like the five hundredth lawn, he took a long shower. Jonathan and Will both worked, and El was nowhere to be found. It was too hot in the house, so he sat on the front porch. Not five minutes passed when he spotted Vivian’s car coming up the street.

“Hey,” she said as she got out. “What’re you up to?”

“Just sitting. Got home from work. No one else is here.”

“Why don’t you come over to my place, then?”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose. Especially if Kyle is there.” Hopper got the feeling that Kyle didn’t like him that much.

“Don’t be silly. You’re not imposing. Kyle’s not home, and even if he were, it wouldn’t be an issue.” She waved her hand for Hopper to follow her.

“Have a seat,” she said when they got to the kitchen. “I have water and milk. You want something?”

“Water’s fine,” Hopper answered. Vivian got him a glass along with her own and sat down at the table with him.

“How’s El? I don’t see as much of her these days.”

“She’s doing as well as can be expected. At least she’s not talking about moving out, anymore. I’m not sure where she’s gone off to this time. It’ll be dark soon.”

“I spoke with her earlier, just briefly. She told me she was going to pick up some groceries. Said you guys were almost out.”

“I really don’t like it when she does that. It makes me nervous,” Hopper said.

“I know. She’s a smart kid, though, and even if she doesn’t want to, she does have the telekinesis to help her out.”

“It won’t help if a bomb hits her. Or if she’s ambushed from behind.”

“Right. Hey, if it makes you feel better, I see her coming up the street right now.”

Sure enough, when Hopper turned to look out the window, he saw El carrying two bags of groceries. “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about for the moment. So, what have you been up to lately?”

“You know, meetings, rescues, fighting the system, that sort of thing.”

Hopper chuckled. “You sure are kept busy.”

“Yeah, it would be nice to catch a break every once in awhile. Speaking of, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“I was wondering…now don’t feel obligated at all, but how would you feel if…oh god, never mind. Forget it.”

“Well, now you’ve got me all kinds of curious. What is it?”

“No, really. Forget I said anything. It’s silly. I was just going to ask you a silly question.”

“If it’s silly, then it’s not a big deal to ask, right?”

Hopper noticed a crimson flush creep over Vivian’s caramel skin. “Well, it’s just that…this is so awkward…I haven’t had sex in awhile.”

Hopper’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

Vivian began talking a mile a minute. “It’s been six months and I actually found a condom in an empty drawer today. Can you believe it? Don’t worry, I checked it out well, and it’s fully sealed. I just—it’s been too long. I’m dying.”

“And you want my advice on asking Kyle, or someone else, or…?”

“Wow, no. Um, I’m asking you.”

“ _Oh_.”

“Forget it. It’s stupid. Wow, I’m an idiot.”

“I’ve got you beat.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve got you beat,” Hopper repeated. “Two years and some change.”

Vivian’s eyes grew large. “ _How_? Geez, now I feel silly about the six months.”

“How? I dunno. Shit happens. You sleep with your wife on a fairly regular basis. Then tragedy rips your relationship apart and you find yourself sleeping around about every week. You find someone you really care about and think you’ll be good, and then that person is torn away from you. You adopt three kids. The country becomes fucked. You don’t stay anywhere for a long period of time. You’re almost constantly sharing a room with one of the three kids. No condoms to be found. So yeah. Almost three years.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Like I said, shit happens.” They sat for almost a full minute before Hopper broke the silence. “So, I mean, _yeah_.”

“Yeah? Oh, you mean, like, _yeah_?”

Hopper chuckled. “You’re beautiful. And a great person. And I’m going to get your secrets out of you.” He raised his eyebrows. “I just don’t understand why you’d want a kind-of asshole who’s ten years older than you. I think Kyle’s super into you.”

“Yeah, let’s not talk about that. And I sorta have a thing for tall, difficult men. Especially handsome ones.”

“I don’t know about handsome, but I’m definitely tall and difficult.” He shot a sly smile.

“Oh, and don’t get any ideas. This is just sex.”

“Absolutely no problem with that, ma’am. You into kissing?”

“Very.”

“Great. Hey, I know you were waiting on a condom, but you should have said something a long time ago. I could’ve, uh, taken care of it for you in other ways.”

Vivian’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Oh, um, okay. That’s—well, now I wish I would have known that. You’re cool with that?”

“Love it.”

“Great,” Vivian squeaked.

“Soooo, bedroom?”

“Yes.”

Hopper and Vivian sprinted for Vivian’s room, slamming the door shut behind them. Hopper backed Vivian up to the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her. He hadn’t done this in so long. She fell onto the bed, Hopper on top of her, kissing her mouth and neck as she moaned. “Shhh. We’re in a townhouse. I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet,” Hopper chided.

“Sorry! I’m just a bit excited!”

“Well, ma’am, you’re gonna have to keep it down. Sheriff’s orders.”

Vivian started giggling as Hopper gently covered her mouth, licking her neck and collarbone as he rocked his lower half into her. His hand stifled her moans. He stopped, pulling his shirt off, then hers, revealing a lacy blue bralette barely covering her small, perky breasts. He took his hand away from her mouth and slowly circled his thumb around her nipple through the fabric. She started up again.

“No no no,” Hopper said, covering her mouth once more. “You’ve got to be good. Okay?”

She nodded.

He moved his hand to suck on her lower lip before moving down her body. When he got to her flat stomach, she flinched. “I’m ticklish there,” she laughed. Hopper grinned as he sucked on the groove between her waist and hip. She grabbed her pillow, pulling it over her face as she shrieked.

“Too much?” he asked.

“It’s torturous, but the good kind!” she replied, making Hopper laugh at the idea.

He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them off, plucking the string of her matching blue panties. “Hot.”

She pulled him in, sucking on his tongue and rubbing herself against him. He pulled her bralette off, taking turns licking each hard nipple before returning to her mouth. His hand made its way to her panties, finding her clit through the fabric.

Vivian placed her hand over his to help him out. “Keep touching me like that and I might get off already,” she whispered.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Two minutes later, she cried out as Hopper tried to silence her with harder kisses. After she finished, he pulled her underwear off and settled his face between her legs, running his tongue slowly up and down before stopping to look at her face. Her head was tilted, back arched, as she fondled her breasts. “God, that’s so hot,” he commented before continuing his task.

Suddenly, Vivian sat up. “Lie on your back,” she instructed. Hopper complied, and Vivian climbed on top of him, pressing herself against his face while rocking her hips, hands against the wall.

Hopper grabbed her ass and moaned. This was quite possibly his favorite way to please a woman. He moved his hand down to his pants in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure, but Vivian grabbed his hands and placed them over his head.

“Uh uh uh, sir. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

_Oh, fuck._

She spun around, still grinding against his face, and unbuckled his belt. She unzipped his jeans and pulled out his cock, placing it into her mouth.

Hopper stopped Vivian’s movements. “If you want to actually use the condom, you’re gonna have to cool it down a bit.”

“Okay.” She climbed off of Hopper and pulled his pants completely off. She opened her bedside drawer and pulled the condom out. She licked the length of his cock one more time before rolling it on.

“You were not kidding about being horny. Jesus.”

Vivian grabbed Hopper’s face, kissing him.

“Turn around,” he instructed. Vivian faced the end of the bed, upright and on her knees. She lifted her arms over her head and arched her back, gripping his hair as he entered her from behind and began thrusting, hands on her hips.

She moaned. “You’re hitting just the right spot. Touch me, and you’ll have me off in no time.” He moved one hand to her clit, making slow circles.

“Oh, god. That feels so good.” She shuddered, then broke out into cries so loud, Hopper figured someone had to hear them.

He looked down, and the jiggle of her ass as he thrust into her sent him over the edge. He groaned as the orgasm coursed through his body before he stilled and slid out.

Hopper collapsed onto the bed, and Vivian rested her head on his chest, rising and falling with rapid breaths, slowing over the next couple minutes.

“So,” Hopper said, after awhile. “Are we sure this is a one-and-done?”

“Hop,” Vivian sighed. “Didn’t we say this was just sex?”

“I’m not contradicting that. It’s just that, I mean, I don’t know about you, but I thought that was great, and I don’t want to wait another almost-three years.”

“Things can get complicated past one night stands. Besides, I’m out of condoms, now.”

“And I told you that wasn’t a problem.”

“Listen, I don’t want you to develop feelings for me. Because I don’t want a relationship.”

“What if _you_ develop feelings for _me_?” Hopper smirked.

“Well, yeah, I don’t want that either! Hey, I’m gonna go clean up. I have a surprise for you when I get back.”

Hopper took the time to clean up, himself, then got back in bed just as Vivian returned. She pulled her hand out from behind her back.

“Is that—”

“Yup.” Vivian beamed. “Same place I found the condom.” She handed him a cigarette and took one out of the pack for herself. “I don't have a lighter, though. You’ll have to use the stove.”

As soon as they lit their cigarettes, they climbed back in bed, smoke circling over their heads.

“So what’s the deal with these supposed secrets you have?” Hopper asked. “Something sinister?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe, but not exactly. I’ve just done some things I’m not proud of, and I come across as more put together than I really am, I think.”

“Don’t we all? Actually, I’m not even sure that I appear put together. Maybe I look like a hot mess, I don’t know.”

“Tell me about your life before. The kids’ mom, what was she like?” Vivian asked.

“Joyce. Her name was Joyce.” He thought back to the night they found the open portal in the woods. “She was pretty incredible. We dated when we were fourteen but drifted apart after that. I married, and so did she. Neither of those marriages lasted, and we found ourselves back together when Will went missing. Not dating, but we were the only two adults who knew about The Upside Down. I guess you could say we fell for each other from that connection. But there was more to it there.”

“So that was when Will was in The Upside Down?”

“Yeah. The Demogorgon took him. Since I was Chief of Police at the time, it was my job to solve the case. I guess you could say I got in way over my head.”

“What happened to Joyce?”

“A year after we got Will back, Joyce and I hooked up, and I realized how madly in love with her I was. But the government, the fucking people who caused this whole shit storm in the first place, the same people who hurt El, they killed her.”

“I’m so sorry,” Vivian said, putting her hand on his arm.

“Seems like they don’t like it when people know their business. If I’m honest, and I’m really not honest with my feelings a whole lot, I miss her like fucking crazy. She was a fantastic mom. Strong and beautiful. I’m not sure what she saw in me, anyway. And now, almost three years later, I _still_ have nightmares about her. Sara, too.”

“Was Sara your daughter?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened to her? Same thing?”

“No. She died when she was five. Cancer. Diane was my wife at the time and another incredible woman, but I had to go fuck it up by completely shutting down after Sara.”

“It makes sense, though.”

“Yeah, it does. But it’s no good for relationships.”

“Thanks for sharing all this with me,” Vivian said. “I feel sort of honored, in a way.”

“I don’t like it, believe me,” Hopper said. “But I’ve been learning that it’s necessary if I don’t want to be completely alone. El’s been teaching me that.”

“She’s great.”

“Yeah, she is. So great. And so difficult. I feel that I haven’t been equipped enough to take care of her. You know, a very damaged person taking care of another very damaged person.”

“Sometimes, that’s the best way, though. Empathy and all that.”

“Yeah, maybe. Now that I’ve been way more vulnerable than I’m comfortable with, it’s your turn. We need to even this thing out.”

“What do you want to know?” Vivian asked.

“Anything. What did you do for a living? Ever been married? Kids? Relationships? How did you get involved with The Resistance? What’s the story with killing people? Now I’m realizing how little we actually know about each other.”

“Never been married. No kids. I was a nurse once upon a time. Worked in the ER. I’ve had a few relationships, the most significant being Robert. We started dating when I was twenty-five. It lasted for five years. We thought we were going to get married. Then everything started happening. Robert wanted to join The Resistance. So I followed him to New York City. When you love someone, you’ll do things against your better judgement sometimes. In any case, I didn’t know. At first, things seemed okay. We were mostly protesting. But then it got scary. Our leaders started telling us to throw bricks through windows and set buildings on fire, places that supposedly belonged to those in government. Soon, it was beatings. Even kidnappings. I went along with it because Robert thought it was all justified. ‘We’re doing good in the long run,’ he used to say.

I was involved in nine murders. We truly thought that we were killing bad people. I didn’t kill anyone directly, except for one. I didn’t want to, but I was forced into it. They made me hold the gun to his head and made me pull the trigger. I think that’s when Robert started to realize that maybe this wasn’t the answer he had envisioned. But by that point, we were too far in. One night, we were sleeping in our apartment and woke up to banging on the door. Some of the leaders of The Resistance barged in and pulled Robert and me out of bed. I remember lots of screaming and yelling. I remember them accusing us of being traitors. Said they would have to deal with us. They began punching us, kicking us. Several of the men groped me. I fought back the best that I could, but there were three of them to each of us.

Here’s where it gets really tough to talk about. I honestly don’t even know why I’m telling you right now. Maybe it’s the shared trauma.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Hopper said.

“No, I don’t. But I think I’m going to. Because I really need to talk about it right now. I’ve only told this to two other people, though, so please, please keep it to yourself.”

“Promise,” Hopper said.

“So they were on top of us. Beating us. One pulled out a gun. Tried to hand it to me. I bit his hand. They punched me in the face several times. I knew what they were trying to do. In retrospect, I should have taken that gun and shot them, but they all had guns. They would have killed me. So they shoved me onto the bed and—they took turns. They raped me in front of Robert. I had nothing left in me. This time, they were able to put the gun in my hand without much push back from me. One held my hand, aimed, and shot Robert. I wanted them to kill me, too. But they didn’t. They left. Perhaps as a warning to anyone else who might be a traitor? I don’t know. I laid there all night, and the next morning, I ran. I got as far away from there as I could. At first, I thought I would go to my family in Michigan, but I didn’t want them to see me like that. I found a doctor. Had a rape kit done. Those were still available then. After that, I fled to Illinois. I had a friend in Chicago, and I stayed with her for awhile until things started to get really bad there.

Long story short, I became angry. So, so angry. But I am not an angry person normally. It ate me up. Six months of that, and I decided I either had to figure out a way to deal with this shit or I was going to die. That’s when I met Cassie, a White Poppy. They were a new organization, just started up. She explained what they did. I was extremely hesitant. What if the same thing happened as before? She assured me I could just tag along, much like I’ve let you guys do with me. I saw the White Poppies in action firsthand. This was nothing like The Resistance or the military or anything else. Their sole focus was on rescue and building community. With my nursing background, I was a shoo-in.

So I trained with them, did some rescues up north for a couple years, and then I was sent out on my own to join the group in Birmingham. That’s when I met you. I’ve been trying to get my life back together ever since. And here we are.”

“ _Fuck_ , Viv.” He moved to touch her, but second guessed himself. “Can I…”

“It’s okay, Hop. I appreciate the gesture, though. Just shows that I was right about you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for what seemed like forever. He wanted nothing more than to hunt these men down and murder them with his bare hands, but he realized that would be near impossible. Then, he began to feel guilty, as if he had taken advantage of Vivian. “Why didn’t you tell me this before…you know.”

“Look, Hop. People deal with this kind of thing in all sorts of ways. There is no one right way to feel or act. I’ve always enjoyed sex. I couldn’t let them take that from me. Couldn’t let them win. I am in charge of who I sleep with. Not them. Not anyone. Me only. So that’s what I do. Or try, anyway. It’s not a perfect system. Sometimes, I react unexpectedly. The last time, something set me off. I don't even know what it was. I started bawling. He did not take it well. This was nice, though. Really good. I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t want you to act weird.”

“I respect that. So how do you deal with The Resistance around here? Doesn’t it cause problems?”

“I wondered that, too, but so far, no. I think it helps that I don’t actually know the people here. I just really can’t explain it. My reactions, I mean.”

“Makes sense. I was in Vietnam, and some of the guys who came back were the same way. Some better. Some worse.”

“So, here’s where things gets complicated. I just wanted sex, and I fear we’ve kinda sorta gone past that line a bit. I like you. But I’m still not ready for anything else.”

“I understand. I’m actually not, either. Not at this point.”

“Good, so we’re on the same page?” Vivian asked.

“I think so.”


	13. The Slug

“What did you want to show me?” Mark asked.

Thanksgiving quickly approached. A breeze whipped through the air, and Will shivered. Even though he grew up in Indiana, he considered sixty degrees and windy too cold for Florida.

Will led Mark to a wooded path near the ocean, about a mile away from where they lived. They visited the spot fairly often. The seclusion protected them from The Resistance, unlike the busier areas of Jacksonville. Still, they were always cautious, because the soldiers could show up at any time.

Will stopped in front of a large cypress tree. “I want you to see something.” He touched the tree and it began to crack. A hole opened up in the trunk and sticky vines swooped across as the core groaned and pulsed.

“What the—”

“I figured it out. I don’t know how, but I did.”

“Is that the Upside Down?”

“Yeah. Well, the portal. I wouldn’t go through,” Will said. “I just wanted to show you. I know you said you didn’t need to see it, but I wanted to show you, anyway.”

“That’s crazy.”

“I know.”

“I still say you should capture one of those slug things after you barf it up and see what happens with it.”

“I’d rather not,” Will said.

“Can I have it, then? You’re kind of like its mother. How could you kill your own child, you monster!”

Will shoved Mark. “Shut up.”

A week later, Mark’s parents hosted Thanksgiving dinner, although it didn’t consist of much. Fourteen people squeezed into the tiny living room and kitchen. Some sat at the table, some on the couch, and some on the living room floor. Everyone brought what they had on hand, creating a hodgepodge of various foods.

Will sat next to Mark on the floor, absentmindedly chewing his roll. He glanced around the room and spotted his brother sitting by himself. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Mark.

“Hey,” Will said as he plopped down next to Jonathan.

“Hey.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, really.”

“How have you been feeling?”

“Mostly better. Still not great. I feel like something’s not quite right, but I can’t put my finger on it,” Jonathan said.

“Hey, I’m sorry we haven’t hung out much lately. We used to hang out more, and it’s my fault we haven’t been.”

“No, it’s fine. Mark’s your best friend, so of course you’re going to spend a lot of time with him.”

“I know, but remember when you were in high school, and I was in middle school? Even with my group of friends, I still found time to be with you. You looked after me, took care of me every time Dad didn’t show. Taught me about cool music. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I miss that. Sorry I haven’t been around much.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, why don’t we chill tomorrow? Just the two of us. After work. We can reminisce about old times. Talk about what we’ve been up to lately.”

“Sounds great.” Jonathan wrapped his arm around Will in a half-hug.

In that moment, Will’s stomach started to churn.

“Are you okay?” Jonathan asked.

“Yeah, just don’t feel well all of a sudden.” Will got up and walked over to Hopper. “I’m gonna go on a quick walk. I’ll be back.”

“But it’s dark.”

“I have to. Too many people here.”

Then Hopper understood. “Fine. Be quick. And bring someone with you.”

Will glanced over at Mark, who stood up and pulled Will toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Will looked at Hopper, who nodded. _I wonder how Hopper feels about all of this. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone_ , he thought.

The boys stepped out into the cool night air. Will barely made it behind a tree before he doubled over, heaving. The slug slid out and fell to the ground. Will picked up a rock to smash it, but Mark grabbed his hand. “Wait.”

“No! Why?”

“Don’t you want to see what happens?”

“Not really. I thought you were kidding about that.”

“I mean, aren’t you curious what it is? We could answer a lot of questions.”

Will sighed. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“If it starts to get out of control, we kill it then,” Mark said.

“Fine, but only for a few days. And if it starts to get out of control, we kill it.”

“Deal.” Mark ran to his house and came back with a bucket and lid. “This should hold it. What do you suppose it eats?”

“How would I know? Probably you.”

“Heh. Funny,” Mark said, but Will could tell he was a little nervous. “How about some leaves and bugs and shit? That should tide the thing over.”

“It’s not coming home with me, that’s all.”

“But your its mom!” Mark teased. Will glared at him, and he dropped the subject. “I don’t really want to keep it at my place, either. I suppose we could find a place for it outside.” The boys decided to put it in the tree. Mark climbed up and Will handed him the bucket. “Okay, I’ve got it secure. I’m gonna climb down now.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Will said.

“I don’t.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The next evening, Will ran home from his job and found Mark by the tree. “It didn’t eat the stuff I put in there. I looked around, found a dead mouse. So we’ll see.”

“Wonderful,” Will grumbled. He headed to his house and threw the door open, almost hitting Hopper and Vivian.

“Will! I didn’t realize you’d be home this soon,” Hopper said.

“You told me not to work after dark. It’s getting dark.”

“Right.”

“And I was just leaving,” Vivian said. “Bye, Hop. Bye, Will.”

“So, how was work?” Hopper asked after the door closed.

“Fine.”

“About last night. Does Mark know about the slugs?”

Will looked down. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“I figured. As long as you think he’s not going to say anything.”

“He won’t. I trust him.”

“Good. I’m glad. Sit down. I want to talk to you. Been wanting to for awhile.”

“Uh, okay. Anything wrong?” Will asked.

“No. I just want you to know that I, uh—I’m glad you’ve got Mark to talk to. And all that.”

“Thanks?”

“No, really. He seems like a good kid. I’m glad you met him. And I support your, uh…friendship. I just want to make sure you’re taking precautions. Making safe choices when you, you know…hang out.”

“Okay, well, I appreciate that, Hop. I’m gonna go start on my schoolwork.” Will got up from the table and headed to his room, closing the door behind him. _What the hell was that all about?_ he wondered. _We’ve been so careful. No way Hopper knows._ He put it out of his mind and opened his math textbook.

Will woke the next morning to a knock on his window.

“Ugh, can you tell Mark we’re all trying to sleep?” El whined. “I know you two are inseparable, but come on.” She rolled over, smothering her head with her pillow.

Will got up and opened the window. “It’s so early. What?”

“I went to check on the—” Mark peered toward El, then lowered his voice. “—slug. It’s almost outgrown the fucking bucket.”

“ _What_?” Will cried.

“Shhh. Come with me.”

Will quickly dressed and met Mark at the front door.

“ _How_?” he asked as they walked toward the tree.

“I don’t know. The mouse, maybe? I guess it eats dead things.”

“I guess,” Will mumbled.

The boys looked up into the tree where the bucket hung. It shook violently as the creature nearly spilled out of the container.

“What do we do?” Mark asked.

“I don’t know! This was your idea!”

“I’m gonna get it down.” Mark grabbed a stick and climbed partway up the tree. He reached his arm out and latched the bucket handle onto the stick. As soon as he began lowering it, the bucket slid off the end of the stick and fell to the ground with a loud crack.

Both boys gasped, frozen. The bucket didn’t move for a few seconds, then jerked around wildly.

“Fuck! Kill it!” Mark yelled.

“Me? This was your idea!”

“I’m up in the tree! You’re closer!”

“I don’t know how!”

The bucket cover popped open, and two claws hooked the side as the creature wriggled its way out. It still possessed its slimy, black body and yellow markings, though they had faded. But with growth, it acquired gangly arms and legs and deep grooves covering its skin. Little buds surrounded the gaping hole in its face.

Mark jumped down from the tree. “Grab some rocks!” Just as Will and Mark pulled their arms back to throw, a shot rang through the air, then another. The creature writhed around on the ground, then stilled.

Will whirled around. “Hopper!”

“Damn it, boys. Get inside! And grab that fucking thing while you’re at it.” They followed Hopper into the house, setting the now-limp monster and bucket by the door. Hopper turned to face them. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Sorry, Hop,” Will said.

“Sorry? No, that’s not good enough. Whose idea was this?”

“Mine, sir,” Mark said. “I just wanted to see what would happen if we let the slug live. I thought we might learn something about Will’s condition.”

“You wanted to see, eh? Well, look what your curiosity almost did. That was a fucking baby Demogorgon!”

Will didn’t want to hear it. “That’s stupid. It wasn’t a Demogoron. It was just going through some sort of metamorphosis into…oh fuck.”

“Listen, I wondered if this was the case, and your little stunt mostly confirmed it. I think it’s why that Demogorgon in the Upside Down didn’t eat you.”

Will flopped onto the couch. “Why me? How do I get this to stop?”

“No idea. But we have to kill them. Immediately. No more playing mystery detective or whatever the hell you were doing.”

“Sorry,” Mark mumbled.

“And one more thing. Your screaming. It woke me up, so it certainly woke others. I’m sure someone heard me fire my gun. Mark, I know that Will’s told you a lot. It’s extremely important that you don’t let anyone else in on this information,” Hopper said.

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

“I know. Just one mistake, and it’s over.”

“I understand.”

Later that evening, Mark’s parents invited Will over for dinner. “So what have you been up to today?” Ben asked.

Will chewed his carrots before answering. “Nothing much. I did a bunch of my schoolwork, then came over here.”

“It’s so great that Hopper’s having you do schoolwork,” Lila commented. “Sometimes we can get Mark to read, but he doesn’t like to.”

Will turned to Mark. “You should. I have a few books I think you’d like. I can lend them to you if you want.”

“I read comics, at least.” Mark said.

“Once everything goes back to normal, you’re gonna have to get your GED. Hopefully, Hopper homeschooling me will count, and I won’t have to do it,” Will said.

“See, I’m of the opinion that things will never go back to normal.”

“Mark, don’t be so negative!” Lila scolded.

“Your mother’s right,” Ben said. “Maybe some of Will needs to rub off on you.”

Mark smirked, and Will kicked him under the table.

“Well, little Emily, I think it’s your bedtime, isn’t it?” Lila cooed at her daughter. Emily giggled in return.

“Will and I can put her to bed,” Mark offered.

“That’s so sweet. Thank you,” Lila said.

Mark scooped his sister out of her highchair. “Say bye bye.”

“Bye bye.” She waved to her parents.

Mark took her back to his parents’ room, and Will followed.

“What’s the process?” Will asked.

“Bottle. Change diaper. PJs. Brush teeth. Read book. Snuggles. Leave.”

“She goes to bed without fussing?”

“Usually. She’s pretty good about it,” Mark said.

Will looked around. “Where does she sleep?”

“In my parents’ bed. My mom usually stays in bed with her or comes in shortly after. She reads and stuff until she falls asleep.”

Will helped but mostly watched as Mark checked off each task. He sat on the floor as Mark cuddled his little sister and read a tattered copy of _Goodnight Moon_.

“Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.” Mark closed the book. “And goodnight to Baby Emily.”

“Bye bye.”

Will followed him to his room, closing the door. He walked up to Mark, threading his fingers through his hair as he gently kissed his mouth, then again, harder. Mark parted his lips, and their tongues met. Will sucked Mark’s lower lip, then kissed his jaw, and finally his neck before stopping.

“What’s this all about?” Mark asked.

“You’re just really sexy.”

“Well, good, I’m glad you think so.” He laughed.

“You know, you have really nice eyes. Like a swirl of green and brown. I don’t really know how to describe them.”

“Ha, my mom doesn’t, either. She’s always telling me my eye color’s changing and she doesn’t know what they are.”

“Mark, I think—I think I need to tell you something.” Will’s heart felt like it would beat out of his chest.

“Maybe we should go back out to the living room. My parents might get suspicious.”

“But we’ve been in here lots of times, and they’ve never said anything.”

“Yeah, but it could happen this time. Come on.”

Will followed Mark back out to the living room, confused. What had he said that upset Mark?

The boys spent the rest of the evening playing card games with Mark’s parents. It was fun and all, but Will couldn’t help but wonder why Mark had avoided being alone with him. Perhaps it was nothing. Maybe he really did worry his parents would walk in. Lila headed to bed, and Will, Mark, and Ben sat around talking for the next half hour.

“Well, I think it’s time for me to hit the sack, too,” Ben said, finally. “I’ll see you boys tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late.”

They said their goodnights, then Mark turned to Will. “I work early tomorrow, so I need to get to bed, too. I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Hey, are you mad at me or something?” Will asked.

“No, not at all.”

“Okay. I just had this weird feeling. I guess it was nothing.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Mark asked.

“Yep.”

Mark grabbed Will’s hand and squeezed it. Against his better judgement, Will leaned in for a kiss. The light flipped on.

“What the hell is going on?” Ben shouted.

“Dad! I—I thought you were going to bed,” Mark stammered.

“I forgot to lock the back door. I repeat, what the hell is going on?”

“It’s not what it looks like—”

“ _Not what it looks like_? I’ll tell you what it looks like. My son, being kissed by a boy. Fuck if _that’s_ happening!”

Lila came running out of the bedroom. “What’s going on? You’re going to wake Emily!”

“This—this _faggot_ was kissing Mark!”

“Hun, keep it down—”

“No, I _won’t_ keep it down!”

Will tried not to. He really did, but he couldn’t hold it in. Tears rolled down his face, a few at first, then more.

“Yup, faggot. Look at that.”

“Dad, you’re taking this too far,” Mark argued.

“Don’t fucking tell me I’m taking this too far!” Ben reached over and grabbed Mark by his shirt. “My son is no queer!” His fist met Mark’s left eye.

Lila screamed. Emily began crying from the bedroom. Will lunged at Ben in an attempt to get him away from Mark.

“Oh, you think you wanna fight me? Well how about this? I’m gonna go next door and tell Hopper what happened. I’ll let him deal with you.”

“Please don’t,” Will begged.

“Watch me.”

Everyone ran after Ben as he stormed out of the house. He pounded several times on Hopper’s front door before Hopper opened it.

“Jesus, what’s all the racket?” Hopper asked.

Ben pushed past Hopper and into the living room. “I’ll tell you what’s all the racket. I caught these two,” he said, pointing at Will and Mark, “kissing. Now I know you well enough to know that you’ll handle it with your boy. I’ll handle it with mine. In the meantime, they are not to speak to each other again.”

In his peripheral, Will could see that El and Jonathan had come out of their rooms to witness the chaos. He hung his head in shame.

“What happened to Mark’s eye?” Hopper asked, even-toned, as the fresh bruise deepened in color.

“Like I said, I’ll handle my son, my way.”

“So you’re saying you hit him?” Hopper asked.

“I’m saying I’m his father, and I’ll do what I deem appropriate.”

“Fuck that.” Hopper threw a right hook to Ben’s face, knocking him to the ground. Will stood there, stunned, as commotion ensued.

Ben regained composure and stood up, holding his bloody mouth. “I thought you were an okay guy, but I was wrong. Have fun raising a cock sucker. I’m done. My family is gone. We are out of here tonight.”

Will ran to Mark and tried to take his hand, but Mark pulled away. “Please tell me you’re not going,” he begged. “You’re almost eighteen. You can stay with us.”

“I can’t. I have to go with my family.” Mark said, staring at the wall.

“No, you don’t.” Will grabbed his face, forcing Mark to look at him. “I love you.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But I do! That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier.”

“Please, just don’t. We knew this would happen eventually. You’re only making it more difficult.”

“No! It doesn’t have to!”

Ben grabbed Mark’s arm. “Come on, Mark. Let’s go.”

“You shouldn’t leave until morning. Soldiers will be patrolling the area,” Hopper said.

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do.” Ben led his family out the door and slammed it behind him.


	14. The Talk

Will stood in the middle of the room, shoulders hunched, staring at the ground. Hopper looked to El. She nodded. He walked over and placed a hand on Will's shoulder. Will turned toward Hopper, collapsing into his chest as Hopper enveloped him in his arms. El and Jonathan followed suit, wrapping Will in a big hug.

At about three-thirty a.m., Will couldn’t sleep. He opened his bedroom door and walked to the living room. When he flipped on the light, Hopper was sitting on the couch.

“Geez, you scared me. Why are you sitting in the dark?” Will asked.

“I knew you’d be up,” Hopper said. “Remember that time, after your mom died? We both couldn’t sleep, so we talked in the kitchen, and you told me about being able to open portals?”

“Yeah. I remember. That was almost three years ago.”

“Yep. Come sit down. I’ll make you some—shit, no coffee. Water? Milk?”

“Milk’s good.”

Hopper got milk for the both of them and sat back down on the couch.

“I love him so much, it hurts,” Will whispered.

“I know.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No. I know what it’s like.”

“I thought you’d be mad.”

“Listen, I’m gonna tell you the truth. I already knew.”

“You did?” Will asked.

“Yeah. El, too. Probably Jonathan. I mean, you guys were pretty much attached at the hip, so it was hard not to.”

Will cracked a small smile. “Will the pain go away?”

“You’re young. You’ll meet someone else. You’ll realize that you can love someone just as much, if not more. But that doesn’t fix how you feel right now.”

“Hopper, why am I like this?”

“You mean gay?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know, kid. Let me ask you a question. Are you glad you are who you are?”

“Most of the time.”

“I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the fuck it’s like. And I kinda hate that you have to go through this, because it’s just one more struggle in life. Not everyone is going to be kind. You saw that tonight. Hell, I haven’t always been kind. I’ve said nasty things, too. It’s the way the world is. I’m trying to do better, because I see you, and you’re a good kid, and I want you to be happy. And I guess what I hope is that the world will do better, too. Maybe someday.”

“I just feel so conflicted. Like I want it to go away, but at the same time, I don’t.”

“I can’t relate, but I get it.”

“How old were you when you loved someone for the first time?”

“Oh, hell. Older than you. I wish I could say it was your mom, but it wasn’t. Honestly, at your age, I was only thinking about one thing. It was probably Diane. And that’s why I married her.”

“It must be so easy, falling in love and having everyone accept that.”

“This whole love thing is never easy, but that part’s easier, for sure,” Hopper said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“Are they gone?” Will asked.

“Yeah. I saw them leave a couple hours ago.”

“I hope Mark’s okay.”

“Me, too.”

About five hours later, Hopper woke on the couch, drool all over the cushion. He sat up and groaned. He jumped in the shower, and when he got out of the bathroom, El sat on the couch, waiting for him.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey.”

“Will told me what you said last night.”

“Where is he now?”

“Sleeping. Finally. I just want to say that I really appreciate what you did for him. What you're doing.”

“I’ve been learning from a certain someone how important listening can be,” Hopper said.

“I can’t believe you punched that mother fucker in the face!” El said.

Hopper smirked at her language. “And I don’t regret one bit of it!”

“You stood up for him, both of them, really, and that was amazing.”

She spoke genuinely, but Hopper saw the hurt in her eyes. _I’m doing these things for Will, but I never did them for her._

“El, I haven’t been that great to you. Downright awful sometimes. But going forward, I promise to listen and be there for you.”

“Thanks, Hop. Can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure,” he answered hesitantly.

“I want to join the White Poppies. I know you’ve been nervous about that in the past, but Vivian and I get along so well, and I think she’d be a great teacher. I’ve been looking for some way to add meaning to my life. It could help teach me nursing skills. It’s really important to me.”

“Okay.”

“Really? Okay?”

“On a trial basis. I’m not saying okay forever, but just for now. If I feel for any reason that it’s too dangerous, or that you’re falling behind in schoolwork—”

She jumped up and gave him a big hug. “Thanks. This means so much. I’ll go tell Vivian.”


	15. The Ignored One

Jonathan put the last dish away, then wiped the counter down. Hopper had left work, Will still slept, and El led a horde of kids in making a craft on the living room floor. Still, Jonathan felt alone. He grabbed his camera bag and headed for the door. “I’ll be back in a few,” he called to El.

“Okay.” She waved absentmindedly without looking up from her toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes.

Jonathan walked toward the ocean. A strong breeze whipped at his face, and he pulled the hood of his jacket up, tightening the strings. Ahead, the waves beat against the sand. He held the camera up to his face and snapped a photo. When he turned to the left, he spotted two members of The Resistance walking up the beach. Jonathan nearly dropped his camera as he ducked behind a tree. He lifted it to his face once more and snapped a picture of the men.

It bothered Jonathan that he couldn't see any of his photographs and would probably never see most. After the move out of Hawkins and down to Nashville, it didn’t take long before film sold for dirt cheap and photo labs shut their doors. Still, that didn’t stop Jonathan from buying up all the film he could find and continuing to take pictures. He’d wager that he’d used about fifty rolls in the last three years, most in Nashville. Of course, their compact moves didn’t allow for giant bags of film. In leaving rolls behind, he hoped someone would find them and develop them one day. He always carried a few with him, mostly birthdays and stuff. But one held special meaning. It included images of his mother right before she died. A few of Nancy, too.

At that moment, he only had about three blank rolls left, so he’d have to choose carefully about what to photograph. Hopper never complained about his hobby, only when he stayed out too late. Still, he knew Hopper didn’t understand. He probably saw the camera as a useless piece of junk, and understandably. But to Jonathan, the hobby held much more significance.

Jonathan wished he could snap his fingers and return everything back to normal. In Hawkins. Before he’d killed. Before his mom died. Before Will had been captured by the Demogorgon. He rested his head against the tree and closed his eyes.

“Merry Christmas, sweetie!” Joyce’s eyes smiled as she handed Jonathan his gift. “Open it!”

“But mom, it’s not Christmas, yet!” fifteen-year-old Jonathan said.

“Well, there are only two hours of Christmas Eve left, so I’d say it’s as good a time as any.”

“Okay, okay.” Jonathan carefully peeled the red Santa paper away from the box. He knew his mom liked to reuse it. As soon as he had loosened one corner, he jumped up and squeezed his mother tightly in a hug. “A camera! You remembered!”

“Not just any camera. A Pentax LX.” Joyce beamed.

“Mom, it’s so expensive. And so nice.” His hand glossed over the box. “We can return it.”

“No way! You’ve been so serious about photography for two years now, and frankly, I’m tired of hearing about your shutter jamming constantly. Now, I can just watch my son take beautiful pictures.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Now, you know this is your only Christmas present this year. And you need to save up your own money for any extra parts you need.”

“Of course. I know I don’t say this enough, but I love you.”

A shot rang out, and Jonathan snapped his eyes back open. He peered around the tree, trying to keep out of sight of the soldiers. They laughed, shooting their guns into the ocean. _Fucking morons_ , he thought.

Jonathan waited until he didn’t hear anything. When he peered back around the tree trunk, the men were gone, so he headed for home. Once inside, he put his stuff away and knocked on Will’s door.

“Come in.”

Jonathan sat down on the floor. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Will said. He lay in bed, attempting to hide his puffy eyes.

“How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“No, really.”

“You know when someone takes a broken, jagged pencil and shoves it deep into your stomach and twists it? About like that.”

“Sorry.”

“Thanks. You know, when I said we should hang out, I meant, like, go do something, not sit around and listen to me whine,” Will said.

“It’s okay,” Jonathan said. “We haven’t really talked in awhile. We’re due for a good one.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask. Are you mad at me?”

“Mad at you? No way. Why would I be?”

“I don’t know. I just thought that—”

“When Dad tried to get you to like normal things, like baseball, do you remember what I told you? You shouldn’t like things because people tell you you’re supposed to. Don’t let anyone convince you to be someone you’re not.”

“I just thought this might be different,” Will said.

“You’re talking to a social outcast, here.”

“Come on, it couldn’t have been that bad. I always thought you were cool.”

“You’re my little brother! Of course you did. And now my little brother is growing up.”

“Growing up’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Jonathan laughed. “No. No, it’s not.”

“Did you know?”

“That you like guys? I wasn’t sure, but I wondered. You never talked about girls. I figured whatever was happening, you’d come talk to me eventually.”

“Hopper said he knew. And that El knew.”

“That’s funny. Sometimes you’ve got to hit Hopper over the head with a brick to get through to him.”

They both laughed.

“So, guy talk here. Brother to brother. And because I’m nosy. How far have you gotten? Anything more than kissing?” Jonathan asked.

Will blushed. “Yeah. We haven’t had sex, though. Not really. Have you?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing, but no,” Jonathan said.

“Why is that embarrassing?”

“I don’t know. It’s embarrassing to be twenty and not have done that.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s weird.”

“Thanks,” Jonathan said.

“I wouldn’t even think you were weird if you’d never kissed someone.”

“I _have_.”

“Well okay, then.” Will smirked. “Nancy?”

“Yeah. When she was dating Steve.”

“Whoa, Jonathan! That’s kind of a slime ball thing to do!”

“I know.”

“No, I’m just messing with you.”

“I’m glad we’re still close enough that we can talk about this stuff,” Jonathan said.

“Me, too. I talked to Hopper about it some, too. He was surprisingly helpful.”

Jonathan couldn’t help but feel a pang of… _something_. Distrust? Jealousy? Whatever it was, it had a solid grip on his chest.

That night, Jonathan sat up in bed, a cold sweat covering his body. A vice squeezed his chest and he couldn't breathe. He clawed at his throat.

His panic must’ve woken Hopper up, because he jumped out of bed and raced over to Jonathan.

“What’s going on?”

Jonathan couldn’t speak.

“Take deep breaths. Slow your breathing. That’s good.”

After a few minutes, Jonathan could breathe more regularly, and his chest didn’t hurt as badly.

“Panic attack?” Hopper asked.

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t know what it was.”

“At least it’s over.”

But Jonathan worried. What if it happened again, and this time, it didn’t let up?


	16. The Goodbye

“Happy birthday, El!” It was February 23, 1988. Nearly three months had passed since Mark and his family left. Vivian found an old waffle maker, so Jonathan whipped up a batch in lieu of cake. Blueberries spilled over the top, and a single candle stood in the middle.

“Make a wish, but keep it a secret,” Vivian urged.

El closed her eyes, then blew out the candle.

“We got you some presents,” Hopper said, handing El a stack wrapped carefully in their kitchen towels.

She opened the first. “ _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_. Thanks, Hop. I appreciate how you have helped instill a love of books in me.” She opened the next gift. “Buttons and glue.”

“For your next project with the kiddos,” Jonathan explained.

“Aw, thanks!”

She opened Will’s gift. “It’s a notebook, for when you’re feeling frustrated. You can write how you’re feeling, and maybe it’ll help.”

“Thanks, Will. That means a lot. I know you were saving up for a new journal.”

“Yeah, well, this is more important. And I can draw on regular paper if need be.”

Vivian was last to hand her gift to El. El opened it up. “What’s this?”

“My first stethoscope. I’ve kept it all this time, and I feel like it should go to you now, Ms. Nurse.”

El gave Vivian a big hug. For the past three months, she had trained in search and rescue with Vivian and attended all the White Poppies’ meetings. Hopper was uneasy at first, but Vivian had assured him that they weren’t letting El do anything too risky.

“This was a great idea,” Hopper told Vivian. “You’re so much better at this thoughtful stuff than I am.”

“Well, I know of one or more ways you’re pretty damn thoughtful and considerate.”

“I do what I can.”

Later that evening, after everyone had gone to bed, someone knocked on the door. Hopper got up to answer it. “Vivian. I thought we had agreed on once a week, max? This would make number two.”

“No, Hop, that’s not why I’m here.” Her normally warm skin tone was muted, her face sullen. “We have a problem.”

Vivian sat across from Hopper at the kitchen table. “The conflict is getting closer and closer. The military’s taken back most of Georgia, and we’re next. I’ve already talked to Cassie to ask her advice on what to do. A lot of the Poppies are planning on staying, but I don’t think I can. It’s just becoming too volatile, and I’ll be honest, I’m struggling a bit right now.”

“When will you know?”

“I should know by tomorrow morning.”

“You wanna stay over?” Hopper asked. “I know you said you’re against that, but this seems like an extenuating circumstance. You know, for protection.”

“You don’t think Kyle would protect me?” she joked. “But yes. Actually, it would make me feel a lot better. Isn’t Jonathan sleeping, though?”

“He fell asleep on Will’s floor. They were up late talking. It’s been happening a lot lately, since Mark.”

“That’s sweet. You don’t think he’ll come in halfway through the night?”

“Nah. He knows Will likes having him in there.”

“Okay.”

Hopper moved close to Vivian in bed and put his arm around her.

“It’s my fault. All of it,” she whispered. “I should have known.”

“What’s your fault? What should you have known?”

“The Resistance. I should have convinced Robert not to join. I was hesitant from the beginning, but I ignored it. I should have taken the gun when I had the chance. I would be dead, but so would one of them. And then I wouldn’t have killed Robert. And—and—”

Hopper reached for her hand. “Viv—”

“Don’t touch me! Oh my god, don’t touch me!” She shoved Hopper’s arm away and jumped off the bed, curling herself into a ball in the corner of the room. She choked back tears.

Hopper sat, stunned for a moment. Then he regained composure and slid off the bed and onto the floor. “Vivian, do you know where you are? You’re safe. You’re with me, Hopper, in my room in Jacksonville. You’re safe.”

She continued to cry.

“Can I get you anything? You’re shivering. Do you want a blanket?”

She nodded.

“Good. Okay.” Hopper grabbed the comforter off of the bed. “I’m going to wrap the blanket around you. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Hopper wrapped the comforter around Vivian and rested his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes for about ten minutes and almost fell asleep when Vivian took his hand. “Thanks, Hop.”

He lifted his head. “Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.”  
“Don’t be!”

“I just—sometimes I get weird. And I got afraid that—what if they barge in tonight? And then you touched my hand, and—the gun—I just—”

“I’m here.”

“Can we try again? I promise not to slap your hand away this time.”

“You don’t have to promise.”

Back in bed, Hopper kissed her hair. “I know it’s not much reassurance, but I’ll do what I can to make sure no one hurts you again. You need to get some sleep. I’m right here.”

This seemed to comfort Vivian, if only a little. Soon, her breathing slowed and Hopper watched as her chest rose slowly up and down. _If only I was telling the truth. I couldn’t even protect Joyce when the time came._

The next morning, Hopper woke to Vivian’s fingers stroking his hair and her deep brown eyes watching his face. He smiled, then remembered the day. What was supposed to happen that day. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just thinking about how this one-time sex thing turned into whatever this is.”

“And we didn’t even have sex this time.” Someone knocked on the bedroom door. “What?” Hopper yelled, unable to hold back exasperation.

Jonathan opened the door, and if he even noticed Vivian, he didn’t care. He grasped his throat, coughing. He couldn’t breathe.

“I think he’s having an asthma attack,” Vivian said. “Bring him over here.” She made him sit upright in a chair. “Now breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slowly. Good. Keep it up. If it doesn’t feel better in a couple minutes, we can try steaming up the bathroom and having you sit in there.” She turned to Hopper. “He needs an inhaler.”

“How do we get him one?”

“We can’t. Hospitals are strapped. Few supplies. We’d be extremely lucky to find much of anything beyond oxygen masks, saline solution, and your standard anti-inflammatories. Though those could help him temporarily.”

Jonathan struggled for a few more minutes as the wheezing slowed. “I think I’m okay now.”

“Good, I’m glad,” Vivian said. “How long has this been happening?”

“First time was a few months ago, I think. I’ve been having chest tightness on and off, but nothing this bad until now,” Jonathan explained.

“It could be the chlorine gas,” Vivian said. “That could’ve set it off.”

“What do we do?” Hopper asked.

“I really don’t know.”

Later that morning, Vivian and El returned from a meeting with the White Poppies. Fighting had escalated, and gunshots sounded in the distance. Vivian pulled Hopper into his bedroom and closed the door. “I want to talk to you privately. El already knows, but I want to get your thoughts. I’m not staying here. Not only is it causing problems for me emotionally, but Cassie asked me to join her back in Chicago. I’m going to take a break from search and rescue and train for a bit before being sent back out into the field. Maybe I’ll be able to find counseling somehow.”

Hopper’s heart sunk. He knew this was coming. It didn’t make it any easier.

Vivian took a deep breath. “Hop, I want you to come with me. I know—I _know_ we said this wouldn’t turn into feelings, but it has. I don’t even know what _this_ is, but hey.”

Hopper looked into Vivian’s eyes and said nothing.

“I assume you’ve developed feelings for me, too?” Vivian questioned after the silence became too uncomfortable.

“Of course I have. I’m just—this is a lot. I’m trying to process it all. What does the hospital situation look like in Chicago?”

“Same as here. Same as everywhere else in the country.”  
“There isn’t anywhere that we can get Jonathan some medical attention?”

“No, probably not here. The only way he’d be able to get access to proper medical care would be to go to another country. But we both know that’s impossible.”

“Impossible, unless…you do it illegally.”

“Hop, it’s dangerous. Very dangerous. I’ve heard stories.”

“More dangerous than here?”

“People end up dead.”

“They do here, too.” Vivian and Hopper stared at each other for a few seconds before Hopper continued. “You know I care about you, but I can’t go to Chicago.”

“I get it,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and glancing to the side. She held back tears. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this. This is why. Too much uncertainty.”

“Why don’t you come with us? You need a break. You said so yourself. Maybe your time with the White Poppies is over.”

“No, I can’t do that. I believe in what I do so much. Even if it hurts me. Even if it kills me. I have to do it.”

“I suppose this is goodbye, then.”

“Yes, I suppose it is. Where will you go?”

“What would you suggest?”

“Take it from me, everything is dangerous. But your safest bet is probably to head toward Miami and get smuggled across the ocean to the Bahamas. Medical care’s not great, but it’s a hell of a lot better than here.”

“That’s what we’ll do, then.”

“I can get you some names. I have to ask around. It’s gotta be quick, though. I’m leaving in a couple hours.”

Hopper wrapped Vivian in his arms and kissed her head. “Thanks for everything.”

“You too, Hop.”

Vivian and Hopper opened the door and walked into the living room to talk to the kids. All three sat, waiting on the couch. “I’m going with Vivian,” El blurted out.

“What are you talking about?” Hopper asked.

“I’m going with Vivian. I told you I couldn’t stay with you, and this is the perfect time for me to head out on my own.”

“You’ve only just turned seventeen! You can’t actually be serious!”

“Wait, what’s happening?” Will asked. “Where is Vivian going?”

“Vivian, explain it to them. El, bedroom. Now. We need to talk,” Hopper said.

Hopper closed the door behind him. “You can’t go.”

“What do you mean _can’t_? You can’t exactly stop me, you know.”

“But I’m your father, and I said so.”

“Nope, doesn’t work. You’re not really my father, anyway. Just a guy who decided to take me in after I had no place else to go.”

“ _Just a guy_?”

“I want to go with Vivian, all right?”

“What about Jonathan? Will? I know you don’t care what I think, but Will is going to be crushed.”

El stopped for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. But I have to do what’s best for me. For once.”

Hopper sighed. “Okay, let’s pull this back for a minute. Not get caught up in our emotions. Can you talk to me about what that means?”

“It’s just that I love what I do with the Poppies. I’ve been learning so much. I’ve, I don’t know, discovered who I am in a way. Without my abilities. I’m not saying I’ll never use them again, but it’s nice being able to figure out who El is. Not El, freak from The Lab, but regular old El.”

“And this gives you purpose.”

“Yeah. I’ve never felt like that before, you know?”

“I do know.” Hopper thought about Sara. About Diane. Joyce. Will, Jonathan, and El. “I—I just don’t want you to get hurt. You’re like my daughter. You are my daughter. I love you so, so much, and—you’re right. I push people away. I _am_ terrified of getting close to anyone, because I’m terrified of losing anyone again. I’m terrified of losing _you_.”

El tried her hardest not to cry, but as her eyes welled up, she threw her arms around Hopper, tears soaking into his shirt.

Hopper tilted El’s face so that her eyes met his. “You can go.”

“I can?”

“Yeah. Maybe this isn’t about me at all, but about what’s best for you. And you’ve been trying to tell me that. I’ve gone through a lot of shit in my life, but you? You have your whole life ahead of you. There’s still time to make your life something meaningful, and I don’t want to hold you back. Maybe I’m one small piece in your journey. You can go.”

“Wow, Hop, I—thank you. And you know, you’re not just one small piece. I know I can be a brat sometimes, but I do love you and appreciate you. And I’m sorry. For everything.”

Hopper teared up. He knew what this meant. It was unlikely they could stay in touch, and he’d have to trust Vivian to watch over her and keep her safe. Ultimately, though, he knew he couldn’t protect her forever. Maybe, all this time, his job wasn’t to keep her. Maybe it was to let her go.

“You’re going to be great, kid. I wish I could see you grow up. See what you’ll become. Because I know I’d be so proud of you.”

He wrapped her in a bear hug, not wanting to acknowledge the time. All of a sudden, he felt like he hadn’t done it enough over the years.

“You’re gonna have to talk to Will. This is going to be very hard on him.”

“I know.”

There was a soft knock on the door. “Hopper? El? It’s time,” Vivian said.

“I had Kyle ask around and get some contacts for you,” Vivian said, handing Hopper a piece of paper. “Please be careful.”

“Thank you.” Hopper observed El and Will at the far end of the room. He watched as El put her hand on Will’s shoulder and as Will slumped the more El talked. He began to shake as he cried, and El pulled him into a tight hug, crying along with him.

A couple hours later, as El got into Vivian’s car and the pair drove away, Hopper hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they’d see each other. He glanced at Will and Jonathan, sitting on the couch in silence. He’d assumed Jonathan could take care of himself, and now he had developed some sort of illness. Will lost two of his best friends over the course of three months and was emotionally wrecked. This would not be easy. But when had anything been easy? Maybe no amount of hard work could fix his life, but life be damned if he couldn’t raise two well-adjusted, happy young men. He studied the piece of paper in his hand. He would get his boys to the Bahamas if it killed him.


	17. The Refugees

“Uh huh. Yes, I have the money. Okay, Florida City Stop N Shop. No later than ten-thirty a.m. Got it.” Hopper hung up the payphone just outside of Okeechobee, Florida. He took one last puff of the cigarette Vivian had given him for the road and tossed it, grinding it into the ground with his boot. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching him, then got back in his car.

“How much money did you say we have, Jonathan?”

Jonathan counted bills in the backseat. “We’re up to two thousand fifty-two dollars and sixteen cents.”

“And we’ll need some of that for food. It’s not enough. We can sell the car when we get into town, but it still might not be enough.”

“What can we do?” Will asked.

“I don’t know. I’d hate to resort to stealing, but—”

“I can sell my camera,” Jonathan interrupted.

“That’s a nice thought, kid, but I doubt we’ll make much off of it. It’s smart, though. What else can we sell?”

They compiled Hopper’s two guns, Jonathan’s camera, and a few articles of clothing they hoped they wouldn’t need. Hopper took them into a pawn shop and came out with an extra two-hundred fifty dollars. “This’ll help. Let’s hit the road, Jack.”

They traveled east, then south around Lake Okeechobee. The rest of the trip would take about three hours. However, it was getting close to evening, so Hopper decided to stop halfway in a fairly remote area. He drove their car off the highway about a half mile and behind some trees for cover.

“Don’t leave,” Hopper instructed the boys. “It’s dark, and it’s dangerous. If you’ve gotta pee, let me know. Buddy system.”

They all closed their eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Hopper woke a few hours later having to use the bathroom. He looked into the backseat where Jonathan and Will slept. He figured the buddy system was really meant to keep them safe and decided to go pee on his own.

He found a spot about fifteen feet from the car, and as he relieved himself, a stick cracked nearby. He whirled around, but the darkness prevented him from seeing anything. Just as he decided he should head back to the car, a shadow dashed in front of him. He almost yelped when the raccoon stopped and looked at him before skittering away. Hopper’s heart pounded as he opened the car door and climbed back inside, sighing heavily and closing his eyes. But as he drifted off to sleep, a scream startled him awake. He shot up and tried to peer out the window, seeing nothing. He heard it again, along with a low growl. Hopper had been in the woods enough times to identify it as predator and prey. He hoped. _Maybe the raccoon from earlier_ , he thought. But still, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling as he settled back into his seat.

The next morning, Hopper woke early. He roused Jonathan and Will. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, just give me a sec,” Will said as he opened the door. Not a minute later, Hopper heard him yell.

Hopper jumped out of the car and ran over to where Will stood. “What’s going on? You scared me half to death.”

“Look.”

Hopper’s eyes followed Will’s pointed finger until he saw it. “What the hell? Did you do this, Will?”

“Of course not. I can open portals, but I can’t do this.”

The earth groaned around them. A vast storm cloud raged with flashes of lighting and rolls of thunder. The cloud pulsed, glowing orange as sticky vines swooped across, expanding and choking any life in its path. As it spread, cypress trees turned to rot, leaves shriveling and falling. Gray flecks fell from the sky.

“But how—” Hopper wondered aloud. A roar sounded in the distance and Hopper and Will snapped their heads toward the noise.

“We’ve got to get out of here. Now,” Hopper instructed. They ran to the car and got in. Hopper threw it into drive and sped through the tall grasses, squealing back onto the highway, heading east. Will and Jonathan stared out the rear window as the storm faded into the distance.

“What the fuck was that?” Jonathan asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ve got a really bad feeling. All the more reason for us to get to the Bahamas.” Hopper didn’t say as much, but in that moment, he regretted letting El go to Chicago. He wished he had insisted Vivian come along with him.

After driving for thirty miles, they couldn’t see the cloud anymore. The sun shone brightly in the sky, no indication of bad weather.

Hopper pulled into a Florida City gas station at about nine a.m. Hopefully, this would give him enough time to sell the car. As they got out, he instructed the boys to take their backpacks behind the building and wait for him. He walked into the gas station.

“Hello?” he called into the empty store. “Is anyone here?”

A bald man wearing glasses stepped out of the bathroom. “Well, hello there. Anything I can help you find?”

“I’m trying to sell my car, and I saw one for sale in the parking lot, so I’m hoping you might be able to help me.”

“Well, I don’t know. I’ve got two cars I’m trying to sell right now, and no one’s buying. What’s the reason you’re selling it?”

“I recently lost my job and can’t afford to support my wife and two young children. We even have a baby on the way. I need to buy groceries for my family,” Hopper lied.

“I’ve heard so many stories like this lately. This recession is terrible, isn’t it? I’ll tell you what. Let me take a look at the car, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Hopper led the man out front to his Ford Escort.

“What’s the year?” the man asked.

“Eighty-two.”

“‘Bout how many miles?”

“Ninety-one thousand.”

“Well, that’s a bit more than I’d like to see on a car this age.”

“Yes, but it’s in very good working order,” Hopper explained. “Never had any problems with it.”

“How long have you owned it?”

“I’ve been the only owner,” Hopper lied again.

“Do you have the title?”

“Well, see, here’s the thing—” Hopper looked at the man’s name tag. “—Paul. Thing is, I lost it. And you know as well as I do that it’s impossible to get that replaced right now.”

“You’re right. It is impossible. I just don’t think I can help you.”

“Come on, Paul. Do a guy a favor. What will I tell my wife when I go home and haven’t been able to sell the car? My sweet five-year-old Sara? My two-year-old James? How can I look them in the eyes?”

“Okay,” Paul sighed. “I’ll give you seven hundred.”

“Paul, that car’s worth more than seven hundred.”

“Not to me, it isn’t.”

“Twelve hundred,” Hopper counter-offered.

Paul snorted. “And my wife would kill me.”

“Okay, a thousand.”

“I’ll do nine hundred, no more.”

“Deal.”

Paul placed the cash into Hopper’s hand as Hopper handed Paul the key. “Thank you so much,” Hopper said.

“Hey, wait. Before you go…”

“Yeah?” Hopper asked.

“I’d like to offer something to your wife.” Paul grabbed a package of diapers off of the shelf. “Here. This should help when the little one comes.”

“Thanks, Paul. She’ll sure appreciate it.”

Hopper walked out the door and signaled Jonathan and Will to follow him, but not too closely. They walked down the street to the Stop N Shop and behind the building.

“What’s with the diapers?” Jonathan asked when it was safe to talk.

“I thought you could use them,” Hopper deadpanned, thrusting them into Jonathan’s chest.

“Funny. So how long before you-know-what?”

“Forty-five minutes. We’ve got ourselves a little extra cash, so why don’t we get something to eat here?”

At ten-forty, Hopper paced the front of the building. The boys waited in back with their bags. What if the guy didn’t show? What if he _did_ show, but the wrong people caught wind  
and—

Hopper jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. “ _Jesus_! What the hell, Jonathan?”

“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. We’ve been waiting for half an hour.”

“I know. Just stay back there, okay? We don't need to draw attention to ourselves.”

At that moment, an inconspicuous black sedan pulled up. A man, mid-twenties, exited the vehicle. “Hopper?” he asked under his breath.

“Yep.”

“Get in. And hurry.”

Jonathan grabbed Will as the three threw their bags in the trunk and jumped in the car. The man took one last look around before heading onto the road.

After about five minutes, Hopper spoke up. “So, are you Shark?”

“I am not, but you’ll see him soon. I can’t tell you where we are going. The less you know, the better.”

They drove on in silence for fifteen minutes, passing palm trees, canals, and residential areas. At one point, Hopper saw a family stopped on the side of the road by a pick-up truck. _The Resistance_. His heart pounded, but no one paid them any attention, and they drove on. Soon, they exited the city and entered less populated territory. Finally, at a point where the canal they followed jutted forward but the road made a sharp turn to the right, they stopped. “Get out,” the man said. “Go wait behind those trees, and Shark will meet you soon.”

Hopper, Jonathan, and Will grabbed their bags. Before Hopper could utter a thanks, the man turned around and sped off the way he came. “Well, let’s go,” Hopper told the boys. They trudged into the thick brush to wait.

After about fifteen minutes of sitting, Will spoke up. “About how long do you think?”

“I have no idea,” Hopper answered. “What you know is as much as I know.”

“I’m hungry again.”

“Sorry, kid. You’re gonna have to wait. We don’t exactly know how this is going to go, and I don’t have much as it is.”

“Do you mind if I walk around a bit?”

“Yes, I mind. I don’t want you getting into any trouble.”

They heard a car coming down the road, and all of a sudden, Hopper worried about their location. Maybe it was Shark, but it could also be someone who would report them, or worse, The Resistance themselves. “Let’s move,” Hopper said. “Follow me.”

They hunched their bodies as they walked through the trees, away from the road. The vehicle passed without slowing down. As Hopper turned to whisper something to the boys, he stopped. They stared, wide-eyed-past Hopper. He turned around. In front of them, nine people crouched in the brush.

“H—hi,” Hopper sputtered. No one told him there would be anyone else.

“You here for Shark?” a man whispered.

“Yeah.”

“We are, too. Most of us have been here seven hours.”

Hopper didn’t know what to think. This would slow them down, for sure. The group included a man and woman along with their three kids, ages nine to eighteen, a single mom with her six-year-old daughter, and a young pregnant couple. _So many kids_ , Hopper thought.

They all came from different places. All made the journey out of desperation. All felt the risk was worth it for a possible chance at safety. Besides basic introductions, the group didn’t talk much for fear of the wrong person overhearing. Most sat in silence for what turned into hours. _What if this Shark guy never shows_?

Finally, as the sun sunk low in the sky, a car pulled up and came to a stop. The passenger side door opened and closed as the vehicle made a u-turn and drove away. A man with a blond buzz cut, about thirty, walked up. His tan skin appeared almost leathery. “Follow me,” he said. The group walked for about ten minutes until it was almost too dark to see. Then, the man stopped. “Sit.” Everyone placed their bags down, resting beneath the tall cypress trees.

“Are you Shark?” Hopper asked, knowing it was on everyone’s mind.

“No. You’ll see him in a day or two. I’m Al. Short for Alligator. I’m gonna explain to you briefly what’ll happen. You listen. Don’t ask questions.” He looked at Hopper. “This should all go fine if you cooperate. We’re gonna keep walking, in silence, until we get to the ocean, bout thirty minutes. We follow the canal. There, we’re gonna board a raft and sail for the Keys. Shark will explain your next move once we arrive. Before we go forward, payment’s $300 each. Shark will collect the remaining $900.”

“But that’s $1200!” Hopper sputtered. “I was told $1000 a piece over the phone.”

“All about supply and demand. Demand’s high right now. And didn’t I say no questions? You’re not going to be a problem for us, are you?”

Hopper really wanted to punch the guy in the face, but he knew he had to get Jonathan and Will to the Bahamas. He’d have to suck in his pride for the time being. “No, sir. No problem.”

“Good. $300 each. Then let’s walk.”

As the group hiked through the increasingly muddy terrain, Hopper wondered how the hell he would find an extra $400. The payment would leave them completely out of money. Trees gave way to scraggly brush as they neared the ocean. At least it was dark, so no one could see them. Unless a helicopter flew overhead, of course. He glanced at the sky.

Hopper heard the ocean’s waves beating against the beach before seeing them. The moonlight reflected off of the ocean. They completed their first, and probably easiest, leg of the journey.

“We’re gonna cross over tonight,” Al spoke up. “I need three men to come with me to the raft and carry it back here. You, you, and you.” He pointed to the father of the three kids, the pregnant wife’s husband ,and Jonathan.

“No, he has asthma,” Hopper spoke up.

“You think I care? Fine, you then.”

Hopper found himself wishing unpleasant things on this man, conflicted. _He is helping us, after all_ , he thought. He followed the three men through some sparse woods and to an area covered in branches and twigs. They uncovered the raft.

 _Oh, dear Lord_ , Hopper thought. This wasn’t even a raft. It was a crate attached to some barrels with rope. “Have you successfully used this thing before?”

“I thought I told you to shut the fuck up.”

“Yeah, you did. But my kids’ safety is at stake. And all these other people’s.”

“Do you wanna go or not?” the younger man whispered. “Just be quiet.”

Hopper did, but he wasn’t happy about it.

When they got the raft back to the larger group and into the water, the group took turns boarding the raft, packed in like sardines. Luckily, they stayed afloat.

Al used his oar to push the group out to sea. Once they couldn’t see land anymore, Hopper started to relax. This was it. They were really doing it. He looked over at Jonathan and Will, both staring into space. The six-year-old slept against her mother, but everyone else remained awake. Hopper’s mind wandered, and he found himself wondering if any monsters had made it to the Keys. Technically, they were islands, but connected by a road. Could they swim, and if so, how far? What about portals? Hopper realized he didn’t know the extent of the creatures’ capabilities.

Jonathan and Will dozed on and off. Hopper stayed awake the entire two hours it took to paddle the raft. Finally, he spied land in the distance, and luckily it looked deserted. They pulled off into a swampy area filled with mangroves. The trees formed a canopy above their heads as they headed deeper inland along the channel. Hopper startled when yellow eyes in the water reflected off of Al’s flashlight before recognizing the crocodile. Once upon a time, crocodiles would have made him nervous. Not anymore.

They came to a muddy bank. Al got out and pulled the raft to shore. “Watch out for crocs and snakes,” he said. The group piled out of the raft, and Hopper, along with two others, helped Al drag it onto shore and hide it among the mangroves.

Hopper’s shoes sunk in the mud. He wished he would’ve worn boots. The mosquitoes buzzed and hummed, about twenty visible on his shirt in the dim glow of the flashlight. The group followed Al deeper inland.

As soon as they reached drier land, Al stopped. “This is where we’ll be spending the day, sleeping. Since the sun’ll be rising in a couple hours, we can’t do anything else at the moment. Tomorrow, I’ll be heading back to the Florida mainland and Shark’ll meet you and take you to the Bahamas. Only after it gets dark.” He tossed mosquito nets to everyone for which Hopper was thankful.

He wondered about food, but didn’t ask. Perhaps he’d ask later. He lied down with his backpack as a pillow and the mosquito net covering his body and tried to get some sleep. The boys did the same.

A little while later, Hopper woke. Everyone around him slept. The moon cast its full light on the sleeping bodies, and Hopper noticed that two were missing. Maybe they went to the bathroom, Hopper thought, deciding he, too, had to pee.

As he headed into the woods, maneuvering his way through the twisting expanses of banyan trees, he thought he heard a noise farther on down. He stopped to listen. _Probably nothing_ , he thought as he relieved himself, but then he heard it again. He decided he’d feel better if he investigated. He walked several yards ahead and saw two shadows moving on the ground beyond him, grunting. _Oh shit_ , Hopper thought. He was about to turn around when he noticed one person crying. “Hey, what’s going on?” Hopper’s voice wavered. Al looked up. “I thought I told you to mind your own fucking business?” he growled.

“Help! Please!” the other person whispered.

Hopper rushed over and pulled Al off of the woman, aiming a right hook to his face. Al staggered backward, falling over. “This _is_ my fucking business,” Hopper barked. He grasped the woman’s arms to help her up, noticing how young she looked.

“Watch out!”

A blow to the back of Hopper’s head sent him reeling. He landed in the mud, cutting his chin open on a rock. He rolled over, dodging another blow. Rising to his feet, Hopper lunged at Al, knocking him to the ground. He couldn’t help it. He imagined Vivian. The hell she went through. How he’d wanted to murder every last one of those men. He slammed his fists into Al’s face over and over and over until flesh gave way to blood and guts, until he could no longer see the man’s eyes, they were so swollen. He spied the large rock his chin had hit and picked it up, raising it over his head. The girl shut her eyes and turned away as Hopper struck Al’s head several times. When he no longer moved, Hopper stilled, choking back sobs. He looked at the mess he created.

He turned to the woman, tears in his eyes. She must’ve been around eighteen. “What’s your name?”

“Amanda.”

“Amanda, I’m so sorry. I’m _so_ fucking sorry.” He paused, looking at Al, who hadn’t moved in the last five minutes. “I’ll take care of this. He won’t hurt you or anyone else again.”

“I want to help.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Amanda found the closest water source and Hopper followed, dragging the body along the ground until they reached the water’s edge. He prepared to shove Al into the crocodile-infested waters, when Amanda put her hand on his shoulder.

“Wait.” She bent down, digging through his pockets and pulled out all the cash the group had given him. $3600. She handed Hopper $1800. “Keep it,” she said. “We can’t let anyone know what happened here. There might be repercussions.”

“Fair point.”

Together, they shoved the body into the water. Hopper carefully washed his arms and face of Al’s blood. Neither spoke. When they got back to camp, everyone still slept. The sun barely peeked through the trees. Amanda lied back down under her mosquito net. Hopper grabbed his bag and headed back into the woods, stripping his bloody clothes and burying them in the mud. He changed into a clean set and stepped back into camp.

Jonathan stirred then, sitting up. “Where were you?”

“Bathroom.”

He looked around. “Where’d Al go?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t seen him.”

Over the next thirty minutes, most of the group woke. Amanda avoided eye contact with Hopper. Some began murmuring about what had possibly happened to Al.

“He got his money. He probably ditched us while we were all sleeping,” Amanda’s father said. Others agreed that it made sense.

“So what do we do now?” another woman asked.

“I think we should wait. Al said Shark would be around by nightfall, so let’s just see,” Hopper said.

“Well, does anyone have anything to eat?” Amanda’s father asked.

The group compiled an assortment of wrapped snacks to share. It wasn’t enough, but they made do. Finally, at around three p.m., they heard a rustling in woods.

“Al?” Will asked.

“Don’t think so,” Hopper answered.

A man of about fifty-five with thinning, gray hair appeared, introducing himself as Shark. He brought fifteen other people and food. Lots of it. He laid out an assortment of fruit, bread, and peanut butter for the large group.

The boys seemed happy to finally get something to eat, but Hopper eyed Shark warily. “So, what’s the plan? Or am I allowed to ask you that?”

“You can ask, but I can only share so much.” Shark looked around. “Where’s Al?”

“No one knows,” one man said.

“We think maybe he took off once he had our money,” Hopper explained quickly.

“Fucking asshole. Can’t say I’m surprised,” Shark said. “About the plans, we now have a group of about thirty or so. We’ll be meeting yet another group before taking off for the Bahamas. We have a lifeboat from an old cruise ship. Holds about fifty people.”

“How risky is it?” Hopper asked.

“Always risky. That’s why we leave at night. Gotta try to avoid Coast Guard. From both the U.S. and the Bahamas. Where we are, we’ll probably be fine. They’re focusing more on the roads and populated areas. Once we step foot on the Bahamas land, they may apprehend us, but they won’t send us back.”

“How long have you been doing this? Ever been caught?”

“I was one of the first, so close to three years. And yes. Been caught once. Sent us all back to the mainland. Didn’t stop me from going again.”

Hopper, though still guarded, liked Shark better than he liked Al, although that didn’t say much.

“So what’s the plan now?” a woman asked.

“We wait until dark. Then we move. Once we get to the coast, the other group should be waiting with the boat.”

Will signaled to Hopper that he had to make a trip into the woods. Hopper stood up to go with him.

“Where’re you going?” Shark asked.

“Bathroom. Buddy system.”

“Don’t be gone too long. If you’re not back, we’ll leave without ya.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Hopper followed Will, who had already started walking. Once they made it a certain distance, Will bent over and expelled a slug. Hopper smashed it with a rock.

“Do you think we’re being irresponsible, going over to the Bahamas with me like this?” Will asked. “I mean, what if one gets away?”

“We just have to make sure that never happens,” Hopper answered.

“I—I don’t feel great about this. I can’t explain what, but I sense something bad is going to happen.”

Hopper turned to Will. “We’ll be fine, I think. We don’t really have any other choice, here. Your brother needs help.”

“But that cloud—or whatever it was. What was that? I’m worried, Hop.”

“Probably just a storm.”

“That was not just a storm. We both know that.”

“Yeah, well, we’re away from it, and I don’t think it’s anything we have to worry about right now.”

Will gazed out past Hopper, eyes troubled. “But what if something’s happening? Something that we don’t even know yet? It’s—it’s almost like I feel it. In my skin.” Will’s hairs stood on end, arms covered in gooseflesh.

“Okay, I believe you, I just—what the hell are we supposed to do about it? This thing you’re sensing…do you feel like there’s anything we can do to stop it?”

Will looked to the ground. “No.”

The pair headed back to the group, and an hour later, after paying Shark $900 each, they started their walk toward the Atlantic.

The waves crested, then fanned out against the beach under the moon’s glow. The Milky Way swirled across the black sky. Just in the ocean, a blue lifeboat bobbed. About twenty people sat, waiting. Shark led the group to the boat to board, and as they did so, Hopper heard a familiar voice.

“Oh my god, Will! Hopper! Jonathan!”

A tall, lanky teen with red hair leapt out of his seat, wrapping the three in a hug.

_Mark._


	18. The Boat

“What are you doing here?” Will asked, sitting down next to Mark.

“My dad paid a bunch of money to get us to the Bahamas. My, uh—my mom said she was going to leave my dad if he didn’t. Ever since we left Jacksonville, they’ve been struggling. My dad’s been struggling. It’s not been good.”

“I’m sorry,” Will said.

“Yeah, thanks. I—it’s just been real hard.”

“Where have you been this whole time?”

“Not far. Just outside Miami. My parents heard about the fighting moving into Florida. Same reason you’re here, I assume? My mom said we’re going to the Bahamas together or she is by herself.”

“Without you?”

“Like I said, it’s been real bad.”

“Is Emily okay?”

“Yeah,” Mark said, pointing across the boat to where his parents sat. “I’ve been taking care of her a lot, though. Mom’s been crying a lot. Dad’s been angry. I’m glad I went with them. For Emily.”

“Is that why? Why you didn’t stay, I mean?”

“Well, yeah, that was part of it.”

Just then, the boat lurched backward. Everyone had boarded, and Shark pushed them out to sea and jumped on.

“This is it, I guess,” Mark said.

“Yep, I guess it is.”

They sat in silence for a minute before speaking at the same time. Will let Mark talk. “How’s the family? Where’s El?”

Will focused his gaze on the water off the side of the boat. “She didn’t come.”

Mark put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “Sounds like everything’s going to shit, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Look, I’m really sorry about how I left. It was a lot to deal with, you know?”

“I know,” Will said, still not looking at Mark.

“I’m just—god, I don’t even know how to say this. A lot happened that night.”

“It really hurt. It really fucking hurt.”

Mark didn’t say anything, moving his hand off Will’s shoulder and staring at the floor of the boat.

“I just don’t know how else to put it,” Will explained. “I get that it all happened fast. I get that it’s your family. I get more than anything that you had to stay with Emily. But what I don’t get? I don’t get how you blew me off. I feel embarrassed telling you this, but I cried. I fucking cried to Hopper. Everyone. And now, I’ve lost El, and it’s just been such a shitty few months. I could’ve used you, you know? I loved you. I needed you.”

“I wish I was there, too. Or that you were with me. I don’t know. I made a mistake. And I’m sorry. I really am. I never felt about anyone the way I felt about you. It scared me, I think. My whole world changed in that moment. I shut down, and I’m really sorry.” Mark paused before continuing. “So you loved me?”

“I told you that. I know you heard me.”

“What I mean is…is that over?”

Will looked at Mark frustratingly. “You think I got over it that fast? No, I haven’t. And I’m gonna tell you something that might make you mad, but at this point, I don’t totally care. I’m glad you’re here, because it’s good to hear your voice and to know you’re okay. But at the same time, I feel even shittier than I did before, and I’m kind of upset you’re on this boat with me.”

“Well I love you.” Mark said it so quietly, that Will almost didn't hear it.

“Did you—look, I wish you would have said that _before_. It only makes things more difficult. Your words.”

“I know. And I thought so at the time. But god, we’re fucking teenagers. You think I know how to deal with this stuff? Just like you didn’t quite realize you were gay until I brought it up, I didn’t realize I was in love with you until you brought it up. And you were gone. And I’ve felt so fucking lost these last few months without you. If I could change it, I would’ve told you I loved you. But it wouldn’t have changed what happened. I had to go. And saying it would’ve made my dad even more angry.”

Part of Will wanted to tell Mark off for hurting him so badly, but the other part wanted to wrap his arms tightly around Mark and kiss him everywhere. He chose to just sit and do nothing.

“I’m going back over by Hopper,” Will said finally.

“But there’s no room.” It was true. The packed boat meant they could barely move.

“I’ll switch spots with Jonathan.”

“Fine. I understand. If you change your mind, I’m here.”

“I know.” Will got up and maneuvered his way around the passengers before asking Jonathan to switch seats with him. He obliged.

“Hey, kid. How’s it going?” Hopper asked, squeezing Will’s shoulder. That act alone brought tears to Will’s eyes. He tried to keep them in, but they spilled out.

“I cry too much.”

“Nah. You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay. I take it the reunion didn’t go too well?”

“How could you tell?” Will forced a half smile.

“Ohh just…intuition. You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” Will lied.

“Well, I’m here. Right next to you. You know where to find me.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as the boat forged ahead through the calm ocean waters.

“He just told me he loved me. And that he was sorry,” Will started. “It’s a little late for that.”

“I mean, maybe. Do you still love him?”

Will looked at Hopper like he sprouted another head. “Of course I do.”

“So what’s stopping you from accepting his apology?”

“I don’t want to. I’m really frustrated with him.” Will crossed his arms.

“Yeah, you’re allowed to feel that way.”

All this dancing around made Will impatient. “Just tell me what you really think.”

“No, you should decide for yourself how you feel. Just answer me this. Do you think he’s actually sorry?”

Will thought for a minute. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“Do you think he actually loves you?”

“Probably.”

“Do you ever make mistakes?”

“This is stupid.”

“No, really,” Hopper said. “I’ve always loved how kind and thoughtful you are. How you give people second chances. You gave me a second chance. Hell, a third, fourth, fifth, sixth—”

“I get it, Hop.”

“So you can do what you want. In the end, I know you’ll make the best choice for you. But try not to let your hurt over a mistake cloud your judgement.”

Will wished he had sat next to a stranger.

Several hours passed. Will mostly stared into space, dozing off a couple times. Sleeping on a cramped boat proved difficult. At one point, Emily began wailing, and Ben and Lila argued. Mark stepped around bodies to go talk to his parents. “Let me take her,” Will heard him say. Lila handed her daughter over, eyes weary. Mark returned to his seat, getting a snack and toy out of his bag to try to distract the girl.

“Maybe I should have just let you go,” Ben said to his wife, loudly enough for everyone to hear. Mark cringed. Will frowned.

“Okay, everyone,” Shark said. “We’re making pretty good time, but it looks like that’s about to change. Hopefully we’ll be able to get through this storm without much trouble, but hold on tight, and you might get wet.” Sure enough, the boat began to bob up and down, a little at first, then harder. Lightning flashed in the distance, and thunder rumbled. A couple kids began crying, and Mark gripped Emily in his arms as she fussed.

Then, the throwing up started. A handful of people leaned overboard, vomiting into the ocean, Jonathan included. It began to rain. As fat raindrops pelted the boat, Will crawled carefully across, switching spots with Jonathan once more. “Here,” he said, handing Mark his rain jacket. “For Emily.”

“Thanks,” Mark said, wrapping his sister in the waterproof fabric.

Will could see the exhaustion in his eyes. “If you want me to take a turn holding her, I will.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to.”

Mark handed Emily to Will and rested his head in his hands. “I feel like I’m going to puke.”

Emily wriggled and screamed, and Will did the best he could with her. He glanced over at Ben and Lila, seemingly oblivious. What the fuck had happened between Jacksonville and then?

A large wave hit the boat, sending it briefly into the air. Several people shrieked, and one almost toppled overboard. That’s when Will fully considered their unsafe predicament. He struggled to contain Emily, who didn’t want to be held any longer. Hopper crawled over, sitting on the floor beneath them and took Emily from Will’s arms, snuggling her tightly. Will grabbed Mark’s hand, startling him. He studied Will’s eyes briefly before both boys wrapped their arms around each other, holding on tightly.

 _This might be the point we all die_ , Will thought. _I guess drowning is the way we go._ He said a silent prayer. _God, I don’t know if you’re there or not. Please get us through this. I’m scared. And if we all die, I just want El to know how much I love her. Please—_ ”

Another large wave pummeled the boat, water spraying Will’s face. He choked, spitting out the salty water. His eyes burned.

Suddenly, he felt an urgency he hadn’t before. “I love you,” he told Mark.

“What?” Mark yelled over the roaring ocean.

“ _I love you!_ I’m sorry, too!”

“Don’t be!” Mark yelled.

Will grabbed Mark’s face, kissing his salty mouth, not caring who saw.

Mark, Will, and Hopper took turns holding Emily until the sun’s rays peeked over the waves. The surf had calmed, but the rain still spat and the sky remained mostly gray. Will’s teeth chattered as he and Mark huddled close, Emily in between the two. They had finally gotten her to sleep. Hopper dozed, too.

“When we get there—to the Bahamas—I want to come with you,” Mark whispered into Will’s ear. “I want Emily to come with me, though, and I don’t know how to convince my parents.”

“Something tells me they wouldn’t need much convincing,” Will said, immediately regretting it. Mark sunk back, dejected. “Or maybe we can all go together, you know?” Will added.

“Crazy thing is, they don’t even know you’re on this boat. That’s how fucked up everything is right now. But no, my dad’s still as anti-gay as ever. I pretty much had to convince him I would change and that’s not really me and blah blah blah. But then I saw you, and I—yeah, I just can’t. I can’t do that. He’s gonna either have to accept it, and he won’t, or I’m gone. But I don’t want Emily growing up in that kind of environment, you know?” He threaded his fingers through Will’s. “It looks like the weather’s getting better.” Sure enough, the rain had stopped.

But only moments after he said it, a rogue wave rose out of the ocean, rolling over the boat, completely submerging it. When they sprung back to the surface, four people remained in the water.

Will coughed and gasped for air, his chest burning as he expelled the water from his lungs. His eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the crowd. He saw Jonathan. Mark’s parents. Mark. _Emily. Oh my god, where is Emily?_ He glanced down to the pool of water at the floor of the boat. Hopper clutched part of the boat, the other arm wrapped tightly around Emily. Will let out a sigh of relief.

Two of the four people who fell overboard made it back onto the boat, but the current swept the other two away. Two men. Will didn’t know them. Chaos abounded. Mark took Emily from Hopper’s arms and headed over to his parents, his mother crying and embracing her children.

The boat stood in disrepair. Pieces of boat and some luggage floated in the swell. Water flooded the inside of the boat.

“We’re gonna have to lighten our load!” Shark yelled. “Whatever you have, it needs to go overboard! If anyone has any sort of cup or bucket, start scooping out water.”

Will grabbed his backpack, then paused. He unzipped the top and pulled out his drawing notebook. The damp edges bled onto the pages, drying parts curling. He pursed his lips and peered over the edge of the boat, hesitating, before dropping his bag, then notebook, into the sea. It floated for a few seconds before descending.

Mark had come back over to find his bag. He saw what Will had done and took his hand. “I’ll buy you a new one. I know it’s not the same. But as soon as we get there, I’ll buy you a new one.”

Will rested his head against Mark’s shoulder, briefly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Will.”


	19. The Storm

Hopper threw as much shit overboard as he could find and attempted to scoop water out with his hands, an exercise in futility. He wracked his brain. What else could they do to lighten the load? The boat had begun to dip backwards, causing everyone in the boat to want to move forward. Except there wasn’t enough room. People shrieked and screamed. Then came the pushing.

Shark tried to maintain control, but it quickly spiraled into pandemonium. “Why don’t we throw Shark overboard?” Hopper heard someone say.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Hopper yelled, hands raised. “Everyone calm your asses down.” He looked around. “ _Sit!_ ” Everyone did, or tried, even if it meant they sat in someone’s lap or a puddle of water.

“This _will not_ descend into chaos,” Hopper yelled. “We’re gonna figure this thing out.” He turned to Shark. “About how far away are we from shore? Any shore?”

“About two hours,” Shark faltered.

“And about how long do you think this boat can stay afloat?”

“With as many people as we have? An hour.”

The crowd began protesting once more. “Hey hey, I said quiet! _Quiet!_ We will never get off this boat if you all can’t keep calm. Has everyone gotten rid of their luggage?”

No one said a word. A few people nodded.

“I’ll repeat. _Has everyone gotten rid of their luggage?_ ” Hopper saw a woman nudge her husband, who pulled a bag from behind his back.

“Toss it.”

“But I’ve got memories in here. Family memories.”

“We all did. Toss it.”

The man did as he was told as tears ran down his face.

“Hey, what makes you think you should be in charge?” another person said to Hopper.

“Look, I used to be a cop. Chief of Police.”

“So?”

“Is anyone else stepping up? No offense to Shark, but he’s not exactly handling it. Someone’s gotta.”

The man looked like he wanted to say more, but someone else told him to shut up. Another person threw a bottle at Hopper’s head. “ _What the fuck?_ Who has a _bottle_ on board? I thought I said everything _off_. Shark, can you get the motor to run?”

“Y-yes, I think so,” he stammered. “But it won’t be working for long. Eventually, it’ll be submerged.”

“Get it going. We need to get as close to shore as we can. Now, men, if it comes down to it, we’re going to have to jump overboard. Then women. Children and pregnant women last.” Some men nodded, and others objected.

“Wait, why should men have to go first?” someone asked.

“I don’t think I should have to explain why,” Hopper said.

“Isn’t that sexist?”

“Look, if you’d rather shove a pregnant lady overboard to save yourself, I’m okay with being a bit sexist.”

The man continued to grumble but didn’t challenge Hopper anymore.

Hopper considered what it would look like to sacrifice himself for Jonathan and Will. They’d lost their parents. Their friends. Were they prepared to lose him, too? Could they take care of themselves? Jonathan was old enough to figure out his own medical care. Will had Mark. Even if that didn’t work out, at nearly seventeen, Will could survive on his own. It was either that, or they all perish.

Over the next fifteen minutes, Hopper noticed the water rise above his previously dry shoes. He glanced at Shark, who frowned. “We’re not gonna make it,” Shark said.

“Okay, I’m prepared to go over. Let me talk to my kids.” He weaved around people to find Will and Jonathan. “Listen, the boat’s sinking quickly. I’m gonna get off to lighten the load.”

“No!” Will cried. “You can’t do that! Please, Hop! I can’t lose you, too!”

“Is this the only option?” Jonathan lamented. “Isn’t there anything else?”

“No. And I’ve gotta do it fast. I want you to know I love you both. Honestly, I would’ve probably ended my life awhile ago if it weren’t for you. At least I’m going this way. With purpose. For you.” He choked. “Take care of yourselves. I love you.” He grabbed the boys, clinging to them.

“Wait,” a voice spoke up. “I’ll go instead.”

“No, Ben! Please!” Lila cried.

“I’m no good to you anymore. You said so yourself.”

Hopper turned around. “Thanks, Ben. We need more than just one person, though.”

“I’ll go, too,” Shark said. “It’s my fault we don’t have lifejackets. It’s my fault I didn’t look at the weather carefully enough. I just need someone who knows how to operate a boat.”

“I think I can do it,” Amanda spoke up. “I took lessons.”

Shark smiled. “Great. Here.” He handed her the money he collected. “Pass this back out to everyone. And I’ll only go on one condition. Hopper doesn’t go.”

“Fuck, Shark. We need people.”

“I know, but we also need someone who knows how to take charge and remain calm. That’s you.”

“Yeah, I hate to admit it, but he’s right,” Ben said.

Amanda took her place at the wheel as a few other men volunteered.

Ben turned to Mark. “I’m sorry, Mark. I love you. I really do.”

“Dad, don’t do this!” Mark cried. “Please! We’ll be okay!”

“No, we won’t. You will, though. Take care of your mother. And Emily. And do yourself a favor. Find a nice girl to marry. I love you, son.” He pulled Mark into a hug, then maneuvered over to his wife and daughter, kissing Emily and trying to kiss his wife as she pummeled his chest with her fists, sobbing.

He leapt.

“Dad!” Mark shrieked, as he tried to run for the edge of the boat. Will held him back, gripping him tightly as Mark fell into his arms, bawling.

“We’ll send help. Promise,” Hopper told Shark.

“I know you will. But don’t expect anything,” Shark said. “It’s unlikely…”

“We’d better go,” one of the volunteers said. Shark said goodbye and, along with five other men, leapt into the water. No one talked for the next thirty minutes as Amanda steered. The only sounds came from stray sobs and wails and the waves and sloshing water.

An hour out, and the boat still hadn’t sunk. “We should see land soon,” Hopper announced. “Maybe thirty or forty-five minutes.”

“And if we don’t make it?” someone asked.

“I’ll go over this time,” Hopper answered.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later, Hopper spied land. “Look,” he said to Will and Jonathan. “We’re going to make it. We’re really going to make it.”

Will glanced up and froze. His lips parted as his eyes grew wide, tears forming. Hopper followed his gaze, away from the island and out into the open ocean.

Multiple thunderheads churned, ballooning into the sky. The clouds glowed like fire, producing bursts of lightning and rolling thunder. Wisps of fog sprouted, swirling and twisting, wrapping around each other and branching out into fibrous vines. The sticky flesh groaned and pulsed before plunging into the water, sending up decaying corpses of fish and other sea creatures. Gray flecks fell from the sky as the tumor spread, unbound.

No one spoke. Emily fussed and Lila moved over next to Mark, wrapping her arm around her son. Will took Mark’s hand, gripping it tightly.

Hopper placed a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, squeezing it. He stood up, pursing his lips. “Here we go.”


End file.
